Chapter 6 The Spleen Flashcards
The splenic vein exits the spleen and travels along the:
Posterior border of the pancreatic tail and body
The splenic artery enters the spleen at the
Splenic hilum
superior and anterior to the splenic vein
From the trunk, the splenic artery courses
Laterally toward the spleen
Sonographic appearance of the normal spleen
•isoechoic to the liver
•May be more echogenic
The spleen is best visualized with
Deep inspiration, with the patient lying on the right side
An individual with a wandering spleen could suffer from
Splenic torsion
_____is the implantation of ectopic splenic tissue, Can occur following splenic rupture
Splenosis
Both asplenia and polysplenia have been associated with
- Complex cardiac malformations
- Abnormal location of other organs
______leads to the development of multiple small masses of splenic tissue
Polysplenia
____is the congenital absence of the spleen
Asplenia
Small, round island of splenic tissue is typically located near the splenic hilum or possibly near the tail of the pancreas
Splenule
Massive splenomegaly Can lead to
Spontaneous splenic rupture
The most common cause of splenomegaly is
Portal hypertension
The spleen should never measure more than ______in length and _____in thickness in adults
•12-13cm
•6cm
Clinical findings of splenomegaly (6):
- Papable spleen
- Hemolytic abnormalities (sickle cell)
- Trauma
- Infection
- History of cirrosis, trauma, leukemia, or lymphoma
- Possible elevated WBC or RBC
Clinical findings of splenic abscess (5):
- Fever
- Leukocytosis
- LUQ tenderness
- Left flank pain
- Splenomegaly
Sonographic findings of splenic abscess (3):
- Complex appearance
- Debris or gas (that produces dirty shadowing)
- Hypoechoic
Sonographic findings of splenomegaly (2):
- Enlargement ogreater than 12-13cm in length or 6cm in thickness
- Extends beyond the inferior pole of the left kidney
Clinical findings of simple splenic cyst (2):
- Asymptomatic
- Pain occur with hemorrhage
Sonographic findings of simple splenic cyst
- Rounds
- Smooth-walled mass
- Anechoic mass
- Posterior enhancement
_____is tissue that has been deprived of oxygen will eventually die
Infarct
A splenic infarct May be caused by (5):
- Sickle cell disease
- Bacterial endocarditis
- Tumor embolization
- Vasculitis
- Lymphoma
The _____, which contains RBC and macrophages performs the phagocytic function of the spleen
Red pulp
The lymphatic function of the spleen is performed by the ______, which produces lymphocytes to aid in the immune response
White pulp
The spleen is composed of specialized tissue called
White pulp and red pulp
The spleens hematopoietic function Can return in cases of
Severe anemia
The spleen in the fetus is responsible for
Erythropoiesis
The spleen begins to develop around the
Fifth week of gestation
The spleen is inferior to the
Diaphragm and posterolateral to the stomach
The gastrosplenic ligament attaches the
Spleen to the stomach
The spleen is located
Within the left upper quadrant
The spleens primary objective is to
Filter the peripheral blood
_____, the largest structure of the reticuloendothelial system
The spleen
_____engulf and destroy pathogens
Phagocytes
The spleen Can also clean RBC of unwanted material, a process called
Pitting
The spleen removed irregular RBC from the bloodstream through a process called
Culling
Small echogenic foci scattered throughout the spleen mostly represent
Multiple benign granulomas