Estimation of splenic weight from ultrasonographic measurements

The author assessed the predictability of the weight of a resected spleen from measurements obtained from real-time ultrasonography (US) scans. In a preliminary study of 12 spleens obtained at autopsy and then examined by US the product of splenic length, width and thickness was linearly related to splenic weight (R2 = 0.97, r = 0.92, p less than 0.001). In a subsequent retrospective study of 81 patients who had undergone a total of 101 abdominal US examinations within 4 months of death and whose spleens were weighed during autopsy, splenic weight in grams was equal to 0.43 (length x width x thickness) for measurements in centimetres (R2 = 0.92, r = 0.78, p less than 0.001). Estimation of splenic weight is therefore possible by a simple calculation; this method offers an alternative to subjective assessment of spleen size, and the information it provides compares well to established norms.