About enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)

What is enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)?

Your spleen is an organ that sits just below your left rib cage. Many conditions — including infections, liver disease and some cancers — can cause an enlarged spleen. An enlarged spleen is also known as splenomegaly (spleh-no-MEG-uh-lee).

An enlarged spleen usually doesn't cause symptoms. It's often discovered during a routine physical exam. A doctor usually can't feel the spleen in an adult unless it's enlarged. Imaging and blood tests can help identify the cause of an enlarged spleen.

Treatment for an enlarged spleen depends on what's causing it. Surgery to remove an enlarged spleen usually isn't needed, but sometimes it's recommended

What are the symptoms for enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)?

An enlarged spleen may cause:

  • No symptoms in some cases
  • Pain or fullness in the left upper abdomen that may spread to the left shoulder
  • Feeling full without eating or after eating only a small amount from the enlarged spleen pressing on your stomach
  • Anemia
  • Fatigue
  • Frequent infections
  • Easy bleeding

When to see a doctor

See your doctor promptly if you have Pain in your left upper abdomen, especially if it's severe or the Pain gets worse when you take a deep breath.

What are the causes for enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)?

A number of infections and diseases may cause an enlarged spleen. The enlargement of the spleen may be temporary, depending on treatment. Contributing factors include:

  • Viral infections, such as mononucleosis
  • Bacterial infections, such as syphilis or an infection of your heart's inner lining (endocarditis)
  • Parasitic infections, such as malaria
  • Cirrhosis and other diseases affecting the liver
  • Various types of hemolytic anemia — a condition characterized by early destruction of red blood cells
  • Blood cancers, such as leukemia and myeloproliferative neoplasms, and lymphomas, such as Hodgkin's disease
  • Metabolic disorders, such as Gaucher's disease and Niemann-Pick disease
  • Pressure on the veins in the spleen or liver or a blood clot in these veins

How the spleen works

Your spleen is tucked under your rib cage next to your stomach on the left side of your abdomen. It's a soft, spongy organ that performs several critical jobs. Your spleen:

  • Filters out and destroys old, damaged blood cells
  • Prevents infection by producing white blood cells (lymphocytes) and acting as a first line of defense against disease-causing organisms
  • Stores red blood cells and platelets, which help your blood clot

An enlarged spleen affects each of these vital functions. As your spleen grows larger, it filters normal red blood cells as well as abnormal ones, reducing the number of healthy cells in your bloodstream. It also traps too many platelets.

Excess red blood cells and platelets eventually can clog your spleen and affect normal functioning. An enlarged spleen may even outgrow its own blood supply, which can damage or destroy sections of the organ.

What are the treatments for enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)?

Because splenomegaly is due to another underlying illness, treatment will depend upon the primary cause. In some situations, removal of the spleen (splenectomy) may be part of the treatment. For example, in hereditary spherocytosis, misshapen red blood cells are filtered from the blood stream causing anemia and an enlarged spleen. Splenectomy limits the number of red blood cells destroyed and helps treat the disease.

What are the risk factors for enlarged spleen (splenomegaly)?

Anyone can develop an enlarged spleen at any age, but certain groups are at higher risk, including:

  • Children and young adults with infections, such as mononucleosis
  • People who have Gaucher's disease, Niemann-Pick disease, and several other inherited metabolic disorders affecting the liver and spleen
  • People who live in or travel to areas where malaria is common

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