[Internal medicine diagnosis of splenic diseases]

In an adult man the spleen serves two physiologic functions. It is an organ of the immune system, the second function is the sequestration and removal of normal and abnormal blood cells. Most diseases of spleen are associated with enlargement of the organ. Causes of splenomegaly are liver diseases with portal hypertension, infections, malignant leukemias or lymphomas often combined with lymph node enlargement, collagen vascular diseases or Felty's syndrome, chronic hemolytic syndromes and infiltrative diseases such as Gaucher's disease. Some diseases associated with splenic enlargement respond to splenectomy.