Spleen - Part 2 Flashcards
What are indications for a spleen exam? (8)
- Chronic liver disease
- Infection
- Leukocytosis
- Leukopenia
- Palpable mass
- Abdominal pain
- Fatigue
- Trauma
What are the normal serum levels of erythrocytes in males?
4.6-6.2 million/mm^3
What are the normal serum levels of erythrocytes in females?
4.2-5.4 million/mm^3
What do erythrocytes do? (2)
- Carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues in the body
2. Carries carbon dioxide back to the lungs
Where do erythrocytes develop?
In the bone marrow
What is the life span of erythrocytes?
120 days
What do erythrocytes contain?
Hemoglobin
What is elevation of erythrocytes associated with? (2)
- Polycythemia vera
2. Severe diarrhea
What is decrease of erythrocytes associated with? (4)
- Internal bleeding
- Hemolytic anemia
- Hodgkin’s disease
- Hemangiosarcomas.
What are normal serum levels of leukocyte?
4500-11,000 mm^3
What do leukocytes do?
Defends the body from infection
What are elevated levels of leukocytes associated with? (4)
- Infection
- Leukemia
- Hemorrhage
- Malignancy
What are decrease levels of leukocytes associated with? (5)
- Lymphoma
- Leukemia
- Viral infection
- Hypersplenia
- Diabetes mellitus.
What are the normal serum levels for hematocrit in males?
40-54 mL/dL
What are the normal serum levels for hematocrit in females?
37-47 mL/dL
Hematocrit
Percentage of RBCs in the blood
What is an elevation in hematocrit associated with? (4)
- Dehydration
- Shock
- Polycythemia vera
- Infection
What is an decrease in hematocrit associated with? (3)
- Hemorrhage
- Anemia
- Leukemia
What are the normal serum levels of Hb in males?
13-18g/dL
What are the normal serum levels of Hb in females?
12-16g/dL
Hb
Oxygen carrying pigment of the RBCs
What does Hb do?
Carries oxygen from the lungs to the cells and carbon dioxide from the cells back to
the lungs
Where does Hb develop?
In the bone marrow inside the RBC
What does the spleen do to Hb?
It gets recycled into iron
What is the most common cause of an abscess of the spleen?
Infective endocarditis
What are other causes of an abscess of the spleen? (2)
- Infection
2. Trauma
What are the clinical findings of an abscess of the spleen? (3)
- Fever
- LUQ pain
- Leukocytosis
What is the US appearance of an abscess of the spleen? (3)
- Hypo echoic or complex splenic mass
- Ill-defined, thick wall margins
- May demonstrate posterior acoustic enhancement
What are 3 differential diagnosis of an abscess of the spleen?
- Hematoma
- Splenic infarction
- Cavernous lymphangioma
What are causes of calcifications of the spleen? (4)
- Granulomatosis
- Splenic infarction
- Calcified cyst
- Abscess
What are the clinical findings of calcifications of the spleen? (2)
- Asymptomatic
2. Abdominal pain
What is the US appearance for calcifications of the spleen? (2)
- Hyper echoic focus(i) disperse(s) within the splenic parenchyma
- May demonstrate posterior acoustic shadowing
What is a differential diagnosis of calcifications of the spleen?
Calcified vessel(s)
