Common Causes of Splenomegaly
Causes | Examples |
|---|---|
Chronic hemolytic anemia | Hemoglobinopathies, including the thalassemias, sickle cell hemoglobin variants (eg, hemoglobin S-C disease, sickle/beta thalassemia), and congenital Heinz body hemolytic anemias Red blood cell enzymopathies (eg, pyruvate kinase deficiency) Red blood cell shape abnormalities (eg, hereditary spherocytosis, hereditary elliptocytosis) |
Congestion | Certain vascular malformations or thrombosis of the portal venous vasculature Cirrhosis with portal hypertension External compression of portal or splenic veins |
Infection or inflammation | Acute infections (eg, infectious hepatitis, infectious mononucleosis, psittacosis, subacute bacterial endocarditis) Chronic infections (eg, bartonellosis, brucellosis, candidiasis, histoplasmosis, malaria, miliary tuberculosis, visceral leishmaniasis [kala-azar], syphilis) Systemic rheumatic disorders (eg, rheumatoid arthritis with Felty syndrome), systemic lupus erythematosus Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis Secondary amyloidosis |
Myeloproliferative and lymphoproliferative disorders | Leukemias, especially chronic lymphocytic, large granular lymphocytic, and chronic myelogenous leukemia Lymphomas, especially hairy cell leukemia and splenic marginal zone lymphoma |
Storage diseases | |
Structural | Splenic cysts, usually caused by resolution of previous intrasplenic hematoma |
Adapted from Williams WJ, et al: Hematology. New York, McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1976. | |