If you ask an ordinary person what, in his opinion, is the most strange and mysterious organ, the spleen - there will be a thoughtful answer. Most people who are not related to medicine cannot formulate why it is still needed. To dispel doubts and find out the functions of this, of course, an important organ, we decided to take a brief excursion into the anatomy and physiology of the body.
Building
The human spleen is an unpaired organ consisting of a pulp held by a dense capsule of connective tissue. From the walls of the capsule, strands (trabeculae) extend deep into the organ, which strengthen the soft parenchyma. Histologically, two layers, or zones, of this organ are distinguished: red and white.
The bulk of the organ is red pulp. The function of the spleen in the body depends on it. And to be precise, there are many tasks for such a small piece of the human body: from the maturation of blood cells to the disposal of foreign particles.
The white part of the pulp has this color due to the high content of lymphocytes in it. In fact, this is the main directionthe activity of this part of the parenchyma is the maintenance of immunity.
At the border of red and white matter is a marginal or marginal zone, it is responsible for the calculation and elimination of foreign bacteria in the human body.
The size of the spleen in an adult reaches sixteen centimeters in length, six in height and two and a half in thickness. It has the shape of an oblate oval.
Location (topography)
If we take the spine as a guide, then the boundaries of the spleen will be in the range from the ninth to the eleventh rib. Above it is the diaphragm, in front is the back wall of the stomach and pancreas, on the side is the large intestine, and behind is the left kidney and adrenal gland. The peritoneum (a thin sheet of connective tissue), the spleen is completely covered, but at the point of entry and exit of the vessels from the organ (gate area), if there is a small area free from the peritoneum.
Blood supply and innervation
The structure of the spleen would be incomplete without mentioning such important anatomical features as the vessels and nerves that feed this organ. The peripheral nervous system is represented in this area by branches of the vagus nerve (vegetative part) - it is responsible for the performance of the functions of the organ, and by fibers extending from the splenic plexus (sympathetic part), which transmit pain, proprioceptive and other impulses.
The human spleen is supplied with blood by the arteries extending from the abdominal aorta. They, in turn, are divided into splenicbranches, and those - on the segmental arteries. Then there is another branching at the level of the trabeculae and the formation of small pulp arteries.
From the spleen, blood returns to the portal vein system. It is connected directly to the hilum of the liver.
Embryogenesis
At the fourth or fifth week after conception, when the embryo is an elongated tube, consisting of several tissue sheets, the spleen germ is laid. But already by the eleventh week of intrauterine life, the organ takes on its usual form, and the processes of accumulation of cells of the future lymphoid tissue take place in it.
The size of the spleen, as well as its functions after the birth of a child, change over time. Only after reaching adolescence, it is finally formed.
Functions
It cannot be said that each of us thought about the question: “What is the function of the spleen in the body?” And even if such a thought came to mind, it is very difficult to explain the work of this organ to a person who does not have specific knowledge.
First of all, it is a source of white blood cells. It is here that they go through the stages of differentiation, mature and enter the vascular bed. The second function of the spleen in the body is immune function. It synthesizes antibodies to any foreign agents that enter the blood. The third, no less important part of the work of this body is the destruction of old blood cells and, indirectly, the formation of bile. In addition, this function of the spleen in the bodyis part of metabolic processes and iron synthesis.
It is worth noting what role this organ plays in the processes of blood redistribution. Almost a third of all platelets (blood plates) are stored in the spleen until the moment when they are needed by the body. Another function of the spleen concerns the period of intrauterine development of the child. When the bone marrow is not yet formed, it is thanks to it that erythrocytes and leukocytes move through the vessels of the embryo.
The functions of the spleen in the body remain a mystery to modern doctors. Some of them can be explored, but much remains a mystery. Official science does not provide any definitive answers.
Disorders of the spleen
Oddly enough, along with the mystery, this organ also received vulnerability to various pathological processes. As a rule, these are secondary diseases caused by already existing he alth problems, such as impaired hematopoiesis, immune response, and tumors. The primary lesion of the spleen is an extremely rare occurrence.
Heart attack
The main function of the spleen in the body is hematopoietic, so its parenchyma is permeated with a huge number of blood vessels. This circumstance, which in a normal situation has a positive effect on the functioning of the organ, can also become the cause of the disease. If, for whatever reason, part of the spleen is left without blood supply, its heart attack develops. Ischemization of a small area may not cause discomfort, but if a significant part of the organ is affected, then the person feels a pulling pain. She isradiates to the lower back and increases with inspiration.
Twisted leg
Like other parenchymal organs, the spleen has a stalk consisting of an artery, two veins and a nerve. They support adequate nutrition and function. Sometimes, with injuries or sudden weight loss, the legs are twisted. This is a life threatening condition. Due to the lack of blood supply, necrosis can occur, and the decaying tissue releases toxins that poison the human body. The pain in this condition is strong, dagger-like, up to loss of consciousness.
Abscess
This is a focus of inflammation separated from the rest of the tissue in the parenchymal organ. Occurs due to primary or secondary bacterial infection. At first, it may not manifest itself in any way, but over time, the amount of toxins that accumulate in the body will lead to the development of fever, nausea, and vomiting. And that's when the pain comes. It will spread from the left hypochondrium up to the same part of the chest and into the shoulder. You can determine the location of the pathological process using ultrasound and x-rays.
Gap
There are two types of ruptures of the spleen: capsular and subcapsular. The first can be identified immediately both by the pain symptom and by the characteristic appearance of the person, as well as the circumstances of the injury. Usually this is an accident, a fight or a fall from a height. The subcapsular rupture is not immediately noticeable and creates a sense of false well-being. If the gap is small, and the bleeding inside the organ quickly stopped, then medical care for a person is notwill be needed. This area of the spleen will be replaced by connective tissue. But in the case of prolonged heavy bleeding, the fluid will accumulate under the capsule, stretch it and inevitably lead to a rupture of the connective tissue. Infected blood enters the abdominal cavity, causing peritonitis and intra-abdominal bleeding. The pain is intense, sharp, on the left side of the abdomen, radiating to the shoulder blade.
Cyst
Often people complain of a constant, pulling dull pain in the left hypochondrium. It can also spread to the stomach, causing discomfort when eating. And the addition of rashes and itching in the area of the projection of the spleen, encourage people to go to the doctor. A cyst is a diagnosis-find, detected during an ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs.
Neoplasms
Benign
Rare enough for the spleen. These can be hemangiomas, lymphomas, endotheliomas or fibromas. They do not cause pain, they do not affect the function of the organ. But if, for some reason, a benign neoplasm has increased in size so much that it began to stretch the capsule, then dull constant pains may appear, as with a cyst. In this case, it is better to resort to a prompt resolution of the issue, without waiting for the rupture of the organ.
Malignant
They can be either primary, when the tumor is located directly in the spleen, or secondary, metastatic. Primarily develop, as a rule, sarcomas. The richly vascularized spleen is an excellent substrate for them. Pain may not appear for many years, untilthe tumor grows, but when it reaches a critical size, a sharp deterioration in the state of he alth should suggest oncology. In addition to discomfort, there will also be weight loss, lack of appetite, and nausea.
Splenomegaly
This is an increase in the size of the spleen as a result of a compensatory response to systemic inflammatory or autoimmune diseases, as well as damage to the hematopoietic organs. It is more common in children of preschool and primary school age. In adults, this condition is extremely rare. The pain will have a pulling constant character, but after the cause is eliminated, everything will return to normal.
Perhaps not everyone today knows what kind of organ is the spleen, where it is located and how it hurts. But the task of the local general practitioner or a narrower specialist is to correctly collect an anamnesis to identify damage, regardless of the patient's knowledge of human anatomy. Often, diseases of this organ are disguised as stomach, heart, muscle pain, which makes it difficult to diagnose.
The structure of the spleen allows it to be a collector of spent blood cells and at the same time a cradle for immune units. These are unique abilities that no other organ can compensate for. The role of the spleen is often underestimated by ordinary people, but if you conduct a thorough analysis, you may be surprised how much depends on its well-being. Take care of your he alth! It is better to live your whole life and not know what pain in the left hypochondrium is.
Whatis the spleen? Where is it located and how does it hurt? Such questions are asked by happy people whose bodies work like clockwork.
