BACKGROUND Laparoscopic splenectomy of normal-sized spleens or in moderate splenomegaly is performed with increasing frequency. By using a modification of the open laparotomy, minimal-access splenectomy is an attractive alternative in severe splenomegaly. METHODS Between September 2002 and October 2003, 9 patients (mean age, 58.8 years; range, 41 to 72) with severe splenomegaly (mean length, ...

Clinical manifestations of hereditary spherocytosis (HS) can be abrogated by splenectomy. However, concerns exist regarding exposure of patients to a lifelong risk for overwhelming infections and, to a lesser extent, to vascular complications after total splenectomy. In the search for alternative treatment modalities, we assessed, in a previous pilot study, the potential usefulness of subtotal ...

As with most reports of splenectomy for immune thrombocytopenia, the recent study claiming efficacy of splenectomy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related thrombocytopenia is uncontrolled, and combines responses of more and less severely thrombocytopenic patients.' In addition, important information is omitted. What were the mean platelet count increases, partial versus complete response...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an acquired autoimmune disease characterized by platelet destruction. Glucocorticoids are the first-choice treatment, resulting in a complete (CR) or partial (PR) response in 70-80% of cases. In most cases, however, response is transient or glucocorticoid-dependent. For these and for selected patients with acute refractory ITP, ...

Asplenic patients have a lifelong risk of overwhelming post-splenectomy infection and have been reported to have low numbers of peripheral blood IgM memory B cells. The clinical value of quantitation of memory B cells as an indicator of splenic abnormality or risk of infection has been unclear. To assess changes in B cell sub-populations after splenectomy we studied patients recruited to a sple...

Abstract Introduction: Thalassemia is the most common hereditary anemia in Iran. The aim of this study was to evaluate the humoral immune system and assess the effect of splenectomy on the serum level of immunoglobulins IgG, IgM, and IgA and complement components in patients with major thalassemia. Materials and Methods: This interventional semi-experimental study (before-after) was performed...

Introduction: Splenectomy has long been used to treat benign hematological abnormalities such as immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), some hemolytic anemias- especially hereditary spherocytosis and thalassemia, prehepatic portal hypertension. The discovery that splenectomized individuals are more vulnerable encapsulated organism infection attributed the spleen's lack of filtration development anticar...

By DONALD SHOTTON, M.D., CHARLES L. CROCKETT, JR. M.D.* BYRD S. LEAVELL, M.D. S ICKLE CELL ANEMIA was described first 1)y Heriick’ in 1910. Although the disease was considered to be hemolytic in nature and many of the early patients had splenomegahy, splenectomy in this condition was reported first by Hahn and Gillespie2 in 1927. Since that time the literature on splenectomy in this disease has...