The spleen cleans the blood to eliminate bacteria, old blood cells and parasites, notes NYU Langone Medical Center. The removal of the spleen, called a splenectomy, is done due to a wide variety of disorders that impact or damage this organ. The...
The spleen is located behind the stomach in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. It is approximately five inches long by three inches wide, and just under two inches thick. Although it has many functions---including filtering blood, destroying...
According to the Mayo Clinic, elevated platelet count, also known as thrombocytosis, is a disorder in which excess platelets are produced, leading to abnormal blood clotting or bleeding. Platelets are small fragments of the red blood cells...
A splenectomy is a surgical procedure during which your spleen is removed. A splenectomy is performed if your spleen is ruptured, infected, contains a tumor or because of certain blood disorders. A splenectomy is performed under general...
Although your spleen is a vital part of your immune system, sometimes doctors must remove it. Most often, this occurs when the spleen ruptures after an abdominal injury, but it's also necessary as a treatment for certain cancers, blood disorders...
The spleen is a small organ that filters the blood by removing old platelets and red blood cells. When the spleen becomes infected, enlarged or cancerous, a splenectomy is a common treatment. While exercise can speed up recovery time in the long...
The spleen is an organ on the left side of your abdomen that filters unwanted matter from your blood and helps fight infection. It is composed of lymphatic tissue and can bleed profusely if injured. According to Mayo Clinic, in the past, a...
The spleen is an organ located behind the rib cage area of the human body. Its primary function is to aid the immune system as well as aid with blood supply. The spleen's job is to remove old red blood cells known as erythrocytes, while it removes...
The spleen is an organ that plays a vital role in protecting the body from infections, since the special cells present in the spleen kill the bacteria or germs that are present in the blood. An individual may need to get the spleen removed due to...
The liver, the largest organ inside the body, changes food into energy, removes toxins from the blood and produces bile, which aids in digestion. The spleen, part of the lymphatic system, fights infection and maintains the fluid balance in the...
The spleen is an organ just beneath the ribs behind your stomach. It serves many important functions involving red blood cells and immunity. The organ may need to be removed from the body due to an accident or various disorders or conditions....
Sickle cell anemia is an inherited condition that causes red blood cells (erythrocytes) to "sickle," or become C-shaped. This disease affects all major organs and body systems because they all rely on the blood to deliver essential nutrients and...
Platelets are blood cells that facilitate clotting. When platelet levels drop below the normal level of 150,000 per microliter, a person has thrombocytopenia. Platelets, the smallest blood cell, are actually cell fragments. Platelets clump...
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...
Thalassemia refers to a type of blood disorder associated with decreased red blood cells and hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying pigment in blood. Symptoms of thalassemia include shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, irritability and a swollen...
An epidemic refers to a disease that spreads quickly and furiously from person to person, infecting more people in a given region than anticipated. When an epidemic crosses states and spreads globally, drugs for mass treatment are necessary, the...
Thrombocytopenia, a low platelet count, is the second most common blood disorder in pregnancy, affecting 8 percent of pregnancies, according the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine article "Thrombocytopenia in Pregnancy." Platelets...
If your child is experiencing symptoms of itching or discomfort, one cause could be anemia. Anemia occurs when your blood does not carry enough oxygen throughout the body. A common cause of anemia is low iron levels, explains the MedlinePlus...
Patients with meningitis have an infection of the meninges, a tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis can result from a virus or bacterium. One type of meningitis, pneumococcal meningitis, is a bacterial meningitis caused by...
The spleen is an organ in the body that helps control the amount of blood in the body, destroys old or damaged blood cells, and contains white blood cells that fight infection. According to MayoClinic.com, a ruptured spleen occurs when the spleen...
The lymphatic system has the responsibility of keeping you alive and healthy. The spleen, which is in the upper left abdominal area, is one of the organs in this system. The spleen of an adult holds the largest amount of lymphoid tissue. An adult...
The spleen is one the body's most hardworking but underestimated organs. The spleen's ability to filter and store blood helps your body fight infection and disease. While a healthy spleen plays an important part in maintaining your health, it is...
The spleen is an important organ in the body that functions as part of the lymphatic system, which houses the body’s immune system, in defending the body against pathogens. It also functions in the filtration of red blood cells. Although the...
Spleen enlargement, or splenomegaly, is not actually a disorder but rather the symptomatic manifestation of different disorders such as repeated parasitic infections, certain metabolic disorders or cirrhosis of the liver. The treatment for an...
The spleen is an internal organ located in the upper left part of your abdomen, under your diaphragm and behind the stomach. It looks like a small rounded catcher's mitt with several notches on it, according to the Children's Hospital of...
Platelets are extremely small blood cells that have an important role in initiating the blood clotting process. When platelet levels become too high (thrombocythemia or thrombocytosis), there's a risk for thrombotic complications such as venous...
Platelets are also called thrombocytes. They are the type of blood cell involved in forming blood clots. They circulate throughout the bloodstream, but in just seconds after a blood vessel has been damaged, platelets go to the injured site. Once...
The spleen is a small organ located in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen, behind the stomach. Since the body can survive without the spleen, it is an often overlooked organ. The spleen does, however, play a very important role with blood...
Sickle cell disease is an inherited condition that affects every organ and system of the body. It is mainly characterized by sickle or C-shaped erythrocytes--red blood cells. Normal red blood cells are round or doughnut-shaped with an indentation...
Meningitis is an inflammation of meninges, membranes that protect the brain or spinal cord. Find facts on meningitis including treatment options in this video.
Meningitis is an inflammation of meninges, membranes that protect the brain or spinal cord. Find the facts on viral meningitis including treatment options in this video.