Why do I have an accessory spleen?
Why do I have an accessory spleen?
Causes and locations Accessory spleens may be formed during embryonic development when some of the cells from the developing spleen are deposited along the path from the midline, where the spleen forms, over to its final location on the left side of the abdomen by the 9th–11th ribs.
Can a spleen grow back after splenectomy?
Unlike some other organs, like the liver, the spleen does not grow back (regenerate) after it is removed. Up to 30% of people have a second spleen (called an accessory spleen). These are usually very small, but may grow and function when the main spleen is removed.
Is an accessory spleen harmful?
One piece often is smaller than the other and is referred to as an accessory spleen. Multiple (accessory) spleens do not cause medical problems, and nothing is done about them. Rarely, accessory spleens may be confused with tumors.
How do I know if I have an accessory spleen?
Scintigraphy with 99mTc-nanocolloid can confirm accessory splenic tissue because splenic tissue will accumulate 99mTc-nanocolloid remarkably well once administered, whereas lymph nodes and neoplastic growth will not demonstrate uptake to the extent that accessory splenic tissue will.
How common is an accessory spleen?
Accessory spleens are found in 10–30% of patients. They are usually asymptomatic. Rarely they can become torsed around a vascular pedicle. Torsion of an accessory spleen can cause abdominal pain and acute abdomen.
Can an accessory spleen cause pain?
Torsion of accessory spleen is one of the causes of ischemia of the spleen. The most common symptom is abdominal pain due to necrosis. There are few reports describing torsion of accessory spleen presenting as an acute abdomen, most of them in childhood, but also a few in elderly patients.
What would happen if an otherwise healthy person had to have their spleen removed after an accident?
Living without a spleen. If your spleen needs to be removed, other organs such as the liver can take over many of the spleen’s functions. This means you will still be able to cope with most infections. However, there is a small risk that a serious infection may develop quickly.
How big is an accessory spleen?
1–2.5 cm
Macroscopically, a typical accessory spleen usually appears as a solid mass, 1–2.5 cm in diameter. Masses larger than 4 cm are very rare (2–5) with a smooth, round, ovoid or minimally lobulated shape. Microscopically, it reproduces a splenic pattern.
How many people have extra spleens?
The whole process is called splenosis, and it seems to be pretty common: about 1 in 5 people have accessory spleens.
Can you feel an accessory spleen?
Patients have acute abdominal pain, and the site of pain depends on the location of the accessory spleen. They may also have nausea, vomiting, fever, and leukocytosis (4, 6, 24). Patients with chronic intermittent torsion may have a history of relapsing and remitting pain symptoms (5, 24, 25, 26).
Does splenectomy shorten lifespan?
Although the series of patients is small, it seems that splenectomy did not have an adverse effect on life expectancy. The haematological status and the quality of life improved after splenectomy in 17 of 19 patients.