Many people don't know where the spleen is until the onset of diseases that manifest as splenomegaly or enlargement. The largest organ of the lymphoid system is located on the left in the upper abdomen, approximately between the kidney, stomach and intestines.
The work of the spleen in the body
The spleen, having a length of 9-13 cm and a width of 6 to 9 cm, performs important functions in the body:
- Removes old and damaged red blood cells from the blood.
- It is a source of formation of lymphocytes and antibodies.
You need to know where the spleen is located, if only because it regularly cleans and renews the composition of the blood, which means that it directly affects the state of the whole organism. This leads to frequent damage to the organ as a result of other diseases.
The contours of the organ protruding to the level of the pelvis indicate that the size of the spleen has doubled. The result is increased blood filtration - he althy cells also fall under attack. A decrease in the number of lymphocytes leads to infections, red blood cells to anemia, and platelets to bleeding. Therefore, many symptoms remind of where the spleen is located.
Signsproblems in the spleen
Primary (congenital) diseases of the lymphoid organ are rare. Weakness of the ligaments provokes wandering of the spleen - its descent under its own weight. Torsion of the peduncle of the spleen is the result of developmental pathologies. These defects are corrected surgically.
Secondary diseases are a consequence of the role of the spleen in the body:
- Infarction (partial necrosis of tissue) due to excessive accumulation of cells in the body on the background of leukemia (increase in the number of mutated white cells) or infection (increase in the number of other blood elements).
- Abscesses or suppurations appear after a heart attack or abdominal infections (endocarditis).
- A cyst and a benign tumor of the spleen have a different nature. The cause may be the growth of vascular or lymphoid tissue, the accumulation of serous fluid after injuries, as well as parasitic infections (echinococcus). The formation of cysts is a long process during which the location and functions of neighboring organs change under the pressure of an enlarged lymphoid organ.
- Spleen cancer is quite rare, and most often the cause is the growth of immature connective tissue (sarcoma). Pain in the hypochondrium, radiating to the shoulder - a reason to visit a doctor.
What does the pain say?
Pain in the spleen indicates acute infections or a significant increase in its size, as well as an inflammatory process. Splenomegaly brings many secondary features,reflecting the deterioration of the body: loss of strength, lethargy, loss of appetite.
If the location of the spleen is indicated by its enlarged size, you need to know that this can indicate a variety of conditions: accumulation of fluid in the peritoneum, cirrhosis of the liver, granulomatosis, various severe infections (typhoid, smallpox, measles, syphilis), leukemia, leukopenia or a decrease in the population of white blood cells, as well as diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
