Post-splenectomy septicemia in Hodgkin's disease and other disorders

The frequencies of splenectomy and post-splenectomy septicemia over a 10-year period in the Stockholm area were studied. The main observation was a significantly increased risk of pneumococcal septicemia in splenectomized patients, in particular HD patients. At the two clinics for infectious diseases in Stockholm, 1310 septicemia patients were treated, and among these, 14 splenectomized patients. In the total material, pneumococci were the causative agent in 4.7% but splenectomized patients had pneumococcal septicemia in 71% (10/14). In the 12 surgical clinics of Stockholm, 1148 splenectomies had been performed during the period, among these, 76 in HD patients. Pneumococcal septicemia occurred in 5 splenectomized HD patients.