Spleen weight distribution in Ibadan and its relationship to disease

The 5407 autopsies performed during an 8-year period formed the basis of the study; 2444 were infants and children, while 2963 were adults. The histogram of the spleen weight distribution has a fairly smooth contour with a positive skew towards the heavier spleens. The mean adult spleen weight was 271 g, and this was heavier than that of subjects in temperate climates, but comparable to the mean spleen weight of other localities in a holoendemic belt of malaria. The most frequent diagnosis at autopsy were diseases of the respiratory system, infective and parasitic diseases of which malaria is the most common, diseases of the digestive system and neoplasms. In those subjects with spleens weighing more than 500 g, neoplasms, diseases of the haematopoietic system and infectious and parasitic diseases were the most prominent. The role of environmental stimuli in a tropical environment in the hyperplasia of the reticuloendothelial system is discussed. The findings would prove useful in the differential diagnosis of large spleens found in this locality.