Spleen
Abstract
Gross anatomy
Overview
Characteristics
- Coffee bean-shaped, intraperitoneal organ
- The spleen has two poles (superior and inferior) and two surfaces (diaphragmatic and visceral).
- Usually not palpable as it lies deep in the rib cage, but may be felt in individuals of slender build or those with splenomegaly.
Location
- Left upper quadrant (LUQ) of the abdomen
- Protected by the left 9th to 11th ribs
- Neighboring structures of the spleen
The “odd” spleen: 1-3-5-7-9-11 --> The spleen is 1 inch (thickness) by 3 inches (breadth) by 5 inches (length), weighs 7 ounces, and lies between the 9th and 11th ribs.
Function
- Immune response
- Filters old or misshapen RBCs and platelets out of circulation
- In embryos: hematopoiesis
Vasculature and innervation
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Splenic hilum
- Located on the visceral surface of the spleen
- Entry and exit point for splenic vasculature
- Only part of spleen that is not covered in peritoneum
Vessel | Course | Notable features | |
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Arteries |
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Veins |
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Lymphatics |
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Innervation |
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The spleen has only a thin capsule and is a well-vascularized organ, making it susceptible to injury and rupture, especially through trauma to the LUQ or left lower ribs. Splenic rupture should therefore always be considered in blunt abdominal injuries!
Ligaments
The splenic ligaments connect the spleen to neighboring structures, contain important vessels and are part of the greater omentum.
Gastrosplenic ligament | Splenorenal ligament | |
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Connected structure |
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Ligament contents |
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Notes |
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Microscopic anatomy
The spleen is made of red pulp and white pulp, separated by the marginal zone.
Red pulp (75%)
Red pulp is composed of splenic cords and sinuses (sinusoids)
- Splenic cords: reticular meshwork filled with blood (open circulation system); filters blood from damaged erythrocytes
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Spleen sinusoids: fenestrated vessels that prevent old or malformed RBCs/platelets from re-entering venous circulation
- Open circulation: blood empties from sheathed capillaries into the splenic cords and then enters the sinusoids through slits in the vessel wall.
- Closed circulation: Blood empties from sheathed capillaries of the red pulp directly into the sinusoids.
- Macrophages: found in the cords and around the sinusoids
- Blood flow: splenic artery → arterioles → red pulp (cords → sinusoids) → venules → splenic vein → portal circulation
White pulp (25%)
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Periarteriolar lymphatic sheath (PALS)
- Surrounds the arterioles
- Dense lymphoid tissue containing T lymphocytes
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Follicles
- Main component of white pulp
- Close to PALS
- Contain B lymphocytes
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Marginal zone
- Located between the red pulp and white pulp
- Contains antigen-presenting cells (APCs): macrophages and specialized B cells (marginal zone B cells)
Function
Red pulp
- Filters abnormal RBCs/platelets: macrophages capture and break down defective RBCs/platelets via phagocytosis.
- Fetal erythropoiesis
- Sequestration of platelets: Up to ⅓ of the body's platelets are stored in the spleen.
White pulp
The white pulp is the lymphatic tissue of the spleen. After maturation in the primary lymphatic organs, lymphocytes migrate into the spleen (as a secondary lymphoid organ), where they lie dormant until activation. After differentiation to effector cells, activated B and T lymphocytes reenter the bloodstream via the red pulp to mount an immune response in inflamed tissue.
- Mounts immune response to blood-borne antigens and infections
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Macrophages and other APCs in the PALS and marginal zone trap the antigen from circulation and present it to the lymphocytes of the spleen.
- Splenic macrophages eliminate encapsulated bacteria.
- Patients undergoing splenectomy should receive vaccination against pneumococcus, meningococcus, and H. influenza b
- B cells in follicles differentiate into plasma cells → production of antibodies (e.g., IgM) and memory cells
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Macrophages and other APCs in the PALS and marginal zone trap the antigen from circulation and present it to the lymphocytes of the spleen.
The spleen is the major site of IgM production in the body. It also contains a large store of macrophages capable of capturing opsonized bacteria. Opsonization is the body's primary defense against encapsulated bacteria. Therefore, splenectomy → ↓ IgM production (→ ↓ complement activation → ↓ opsonization) → ↓ bacterial clearance of opsonized bacteria → ↑ susceptibility to infection by encapsulated bacteria. Asplenic patients must be vaccinated against infection with encapsulated organisms!
Embryology
- Organ of mesodermal origin
- Arises within the dorsal mesentery, posterior to the stomach
- Mesentery between spleen and gut tube → gastrosplenic ligament
- Mesentery between spleen and dorsal body wall → splenorenal ligament
- Has foregut blood supply (i.e., celiac trunk), although it is not a foregut derivative
- Involved in fetal erythropoiesis: produces RBCs from 10–28 weeks
Prenatally, the spleen is involved in the formation of blood! Postnatally, extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen would not be physiological but rather an indicator of a hemato-oncological disease (e.g., bone marrow involvement in leukemia or lymphoma)!
Clinical significance
The spleen can become enlarged (splenomegaly) due to various disorders: increased immunological burden (e.g., infectious mononucleosis), increased RBC removal and destruction (e.g., hemolytic anemia), blood congestion (e.g., portal hypertension), and malignant infiltration (e.g., leukemia, lymphoma).