Diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of splenectomy in syndromes associated with hypersplenia.

The value of splenectomy is assessed from diagnostic and therapeutic viewpoints in a series of 80 patients with various syndromes marked by hypersplenia. In the congestive type of splenomegaly, splenectomy resulted in complete normalization of the blood picture in all cases but one, and in primary splenic congestion it even proved curative in the majority of the cases. In leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, in myelofibrosis, and first of all in immuncytopenia, splenectomy was also of benefit, and had generally a palliative effect in non-autoimmune hypersplenia as well. In non-haematological syndromes associated with hypersplenia, namely, splenic tuberculosis, Boeck's sarcoid, SLE, haemorchromatosis and splenic vein thrombosis, splenectomy had generally a palliative, and combined with other therapeutic measures, a curative effect, depending on the primary disease. In a number of patients with hypersplenia associated with splenomegaly, it was only with the aid of splenectomy that the primary disease could be diagnosed.