Document Detail


The small spleen: sonographic patterns of functional hyposplenia or asplenia.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  12594800     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
PURPOSE: Functional hyposplenia or asplenia (FAS) can be associated with potential fatal infections. The diagnosis of FAS is traditionally made on liver-spleen scintigraphy and finding Howell-Jolly bodies within erythrocytes. In this retrospective study, our goal was to identify any characteristic sonographic findings of the spleen in patients with FAS in an attempt to determine whether the diagnosis of FAS can be made sonographically. METHODS: In a review of all medical and sonographic records from the period of January 1, 1985, through December 31, 2001, we identified 24 patients (11 men, 13 women) in whom FAS had been diagnosed by liver-spleen scintigraphy (n = 13) or the finding of Howell-Jolly bodies (n = 11). The following sonographic parameters were determined: size of spleen (small, normal, or large), echotexture of the spleen (homogeneous versus inhomogeneous), echogenicity (isoechoic versus hyperechoic), presence of focal splenic lesions, and patterns of splenic vascularization as determined by color Doppler sonography (absent flow, hilar flow, or parenchymal flow). RESULTS: The spleen was small in 20 patients (83%) and normal in the other 4 (17%). Echotexture was homogeneous in 13 patients (54%) and inhomogeneous in 11 (46%). The spleen was isoechoic in 18 cases (75%) and hyperechoic in 6 (25%). Six patients (25%) had focal lesions. Color Doppler sonography showed absent flow in 4 patients (17%), hilar flow in 17 (71%), and hilar and parenchymal vascularization in 3 (12%). CONCLUSIONS: Sonographic findings in the spleen of patients with FAS are characterized predominantly by a small spleen with absence of parenchymal vascularization on color Doppler sonography in most cases. Future prospective studies will be necessary to confirm these findings and to determine whether FAS can be diagnosed reliably with sonography.
Authors:
Christian Görg; Miriam Eichkorn; Gerhard Zugmaier
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of clinical ultrasound : JCU     Volume:  31     ISSN:  0091-2751     ISO Abbreviation:  J Clin Ultrasound     Publication Date:    2003 Mar-Apr
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2003-02-20     Completed Date:  2003-06-19     Revised Date:  2004-11-17    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0401663     Medline TA:  J Clin Ultrasound     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  152-5     Citation Subset:  IM    
Copyright Information:
Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 31:152-155, 2003
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine, Philipps University, Baldingerstrasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Retrospective Studies
Spleen / blood supply,  ultrasonography*
Splenic Diseases / etiology,  ultrasonography*
Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color*

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