Category:Spleen - Pathology
NB:Be aware of age-related changes regarding the spleen
Splenic Lesions
- splenomegaly is the main clinical finding associated with the spleen in disease
Splenitis
Anthrax
Torsion
Haemolytic Anaemia
Chronic Venous Congestion
- this may be seen along with chronic venous congestion of the liver in cases of chronic cardiac failure
Barbituates
- administration of barbituates can produce a degree of splenomegaly due to splenic engorgement by erythrocytes
Splenic Tumours
- these are important surgically since splenomegaly can be diagnoses clinically by palpation or X-ray and some are surgically curable
Hyperplastic Nodules or Benign Lymphoma
- very common incidental findings in older dogs
- should not be mistakenly identified as pathognomic lesions
- consist of nodules of hyperplastic white and red pulp
- - usually 1-2 cms in size, but occasionally may be larger
- - spherical
- - protrude hemispherically from the surface as yellow and red mottled nodules
- infrequently, may rupture and give rise to haemorrhage
Haemangioma
- benign tumour of dogs
- may grow to considerable size
- - the size of the lesion giving rise to clinical signs is compounded by haemorrhage from and into the tumour
- - thus, a large mass of apple size may be found protruding from the spleen and adherent to the omentum
- on section, it is largely blood clot
- responds well to surgery
- - therefore it must be distinguished from haemangiosarcoma
Haemangiosarcoma
- highly malignant tumour of dogs
- distinguished from the superficially similar haemangioma by the presence of much more formed, solid tumour tissue
- accurate prognosis demands histological examination
- secondaries are common locally in the omentum and in the liver
- - course is usually short, often only a month or two
- - metastases may occur in almost every organ
Haematopoietic Neoplasms
lymphosarcoma
- splenomegaly occurs in multicentric lymphosarcoma
- splenic enlargement may be marked if any form of lymphosarcoma is in leukaemic phase
myeloid (granulocytic) leukaemia
- rare
- all species
- extreme form with spleen approaching liver size
systemic mastocytosis
- cat
- extreme form with spleen approaching liver size