Tropical splenomegaly

Enlargement of the spleens of those who live in the tropics can be due to many causes, particularly malaria and leishmaniasis. In many patients the exact cause remains unknown. There are no characteristic imaging findings either radiographically or with ultrasound, apart from the large homogeneous spleen. Since the spleen is very large and firm, distorsion of the left kidney can occur, with flattening of the upper pole in particular. The enlarged spleen emergas from the protective abdominal rib-cage, becoming easily ruptured with minor abdominal trauma.

Philip E.S. Palmer, with Stanley P. Bohrer, Carlos Bruguera, Xing-Rong Chen, Mahmoud R. EImeligi, Hassen A. Gharbi, S.B. Lagundoye, M. W. Wachira