Spleen Gen Pro

what system is the spleen part of?

reticuloendothelial system

what is the primary function of the spleen?

filter peripheral blood

what is the spleen active in during fetal development?

hematopoiesis

is the spleen retroperitoneal or peritoneal?

peritoneal

peritoneal, contains splenic vessels, pancreas tail, between hilum and anterior left kidney

splenorenal ligaement

composed of double peritoneal layer, connects fundus to hilum

gastrosplenic ligaement

pushes spleen inferior due to subclavian abscess, splenic cyst, or pleural effusion

caudal displacement

pushes spleen superior due to volume loss in left lung, left lobe pneumonia, paralysis of left hemidiaphragm, large intraabdominal mass

cephalic displacement

spleen shapes

orange segment, tetrahedral, triangular

spleen length measurement

8-13 cm

spleen width measurement

7 cm

spleen thickness measurement

3-4 cm

where is the convex section of the spleen?

superior

where is the concave section of the spleen?

inferior

what holds the spleen in place?

lienorenal, gastrosplenic, phrenocolic ligaments

spleen anomalies

agenesis, situs solitus, situs inversus, accessory

tissues within lobules of spleen

pulp

splenic nodules, many lymphocytes contained within

white pulp

small nodular masses of lymphoid tissue attached to smaller arterial branches

malpighian corpuscles

fills remaining space of lobules, surrounds venous sinuses, contains large numbers of RBCs, some lymphocytes and macrophages

red pulp

what does red pulp consist of?

splenic sinuses, splenic cords

what does splenomegaly cause?

increased reservoir of RBCs

removes nuclei from RBCs

pitting

process by which spleen removes abnormal RBCs

culling

low reading indicates hemorrhage or internal bleeding

hematocrit

sepsis indicates bacteria in bloodstream

bacteremia

increases with infection, rises after surgery, malignancies, or in leukemia

leukocytosis

decrease in WBCs

leukopenia

decrease in platelets, may be due to internal hemorrhage

thrombocytopenia

what is the most common reason for the spleen to be removed?

trauma

where is the spleen in relation to the tail of the pancreas?

lateral