There are several important medical conditions associated with the spleen. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, the spleen is part of the lymphatic system, which wards off infection and balances the body's fluids. The spleen, which contains white blood cells, helps control the body's blood volume and destroys old and damaged cells. It is possible to live without a spleen, but a person will lose some ability to fight infections.
Splenomegaly
Splenomegaly is a condition of the spleen. According to the Merck Manuals website, splenomegaly, or an enlarged spleen, is almost always caused by another medical condition, and there are six different categories of medical conditions that can cause splenomegaly including congestive problems, infectious and inflammatory conditions, myeloproliferative and lymphoproliferative disorders, chronic hemolytic disorders, storage diseases and structural problems, such as cysts. The Merck Manuals website states that if splenomegaly is massive, whereby the spleen can be palpated or felt about 3-in. below the last rib in the upper left quadrant of the abdomen, the cause typically is either chronic lymphocytic leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, chronic myelocytic leukemia, polycythemia vera, myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia, or hairy cell leukemia. Splenomegaly can lead to cytopenia, or a reduction in the number of blood cells.
Splenic Infarction
Splenic infarction is a condition of the spleen. According to Ramzi S. Cotran, M.D., Vinay Kumar, M.D. and Tucker Collins, M.D., Ph.D., coauthors of the textbook "Pathologic Basis of Disease," splenic infarcts—areas of necrotic or dead tissue in the spleen—are comparatively common spleen lesions or problems. Splenic infraction is caused by occlusion, or blockage, of the major splenic artery or any of its branches by emboli, or wedge-shaped plugs, originating in the heart. Cotran, Kumar and Collins state that the spleen, along with the kidneys and brain, is one of the most common targets for tissue-destroying emboli. Splenic infarcts may be large or small and multiple or single, and they may affect the entire organ. Common causes of splenic infarction include blood clots, infections, such as endocarditis, and blood diseases such as sickle cell anemia.
Ruptured Spleen
A ruptured spleen is a serious medical condition. According to the Mayo Clinic website, a ruptured spleen can occur during a traumatic injury, such as a sports injury, a fight or a motor vehicle accident, and without emergency intervention, a ruptured spleen can lead to life-threatening internal bleeding. Due to its position just under the rib cage, the spleen is particularly vulnerable to injury. Common symptoms associated with a ruptured spleen include pain in the left upper abdomen and low blood pressure problems, such as lightheadedness, confusion, blurred vision or fainting, following trauma. In the past, a person with a ruptured spleen would undergo immediate spleen removal surgery. Today, however, several days of intensive hospital care are usually sufficient to rectify the problem.
