A Comparative Study of Hypersplenism in Reactive and Congestive Splenomegaly

Abstract

Summary. Anaemia, leucopenia, and thrombocytopenia due to hypersplenism have been compared in 75 patients. Forty‐six patients had congestive splenomegaly due to portal hypertension. Twenty‐nine patients had reactive splenomegaly due in 27 to idiopathic tropical splenomegaly, and in two to visceral leishmaniasis. The only definite difference between the two groups was a lesser degree of lymphopenia in patients with reactive splenomegaly. It is suggested that this difference may be explained by an increase in production of lymphocytes in idiopathic tropical splenomegaly and that manifestations of hypersplenism are not directly influenced by histological or haemodynamic differences within the enlarged spleen.

Dexamethasone treatment improves morphological and hematological parameters in chronic experimental schistosomiasis

“…Splenomegaly is also an important parameter in schistosomiasis due to its correlation with an increase in morbidity (Henderson et al 1993;Bosshardt et al 1997). It is attributed to chronic congestion caused by portal hypertension and hyperplasia of the reticuloendothelial cells (Andrade 1962;Bagshawe 1970). The reduction in splenomegaly in dexamethasone-treated animals (Fig.…”