Hypersplenism: Review article

Abstract

Hypersplenism is a condition in which the spleen becomes increasingly active and then rapidly removes the blood cells. It can result from any splenomegaly. It is most common with splenomegaly secondary to portal hypertension and haematological disorders. Portal hypertension is an important cause of splenomegaly in most tropical countries. Although studies on hypersplenism are few, two studies have shown that schistosomal portal hypertension is the commonest cause of hypersplenism, other common causes include hematological disorders, and visceral lesihmaniasis, Tropical splenomegaly syndrome and liver cirrhosis, however there are wide geographical variations in the etiology of hypersplenism. Also the same above papers reported that there was no direct correlation between size of spleen and severity of cytopenia.

This article reviews causes, diagnosis and management of hypersplenism but detailed discussion about management of conditions that causes hypersplenism is out of its scope.

Keywords: Hypersplenism, splenomegaly, pancytopenia, portal hypertension.