What Is Splenomegaly?

Answer:
Splenomegaly

is defined as the medical disorder which is characterized by the enlargement of spleen which in turn can be detected by touching the abdominal region beneath the ribcage.

Splenomegaly is a condition that is mainly caused due to wide range of factors like abnormal red blood cells, viral & bacterial infection, blood cancer, liver diseases, splenic vein pressure/blockage, metabolic disorders, as well as due to certain diseases like syphilis, Hodgkin’s disease, mononucleosis, Gaucher’s disease and Niemann-Pick disease. Some of the signs & symptoms of splenomegaly include abdominal pain, chest pain, back pain, inability to eat a large meal, and palpable left upper quadrant abdominal mass or splenic rub.

Splenomegaly can be diagnosed through blood tests, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, bone marrow exam, or liver function tests. The treatment of splenomegaly includes the treatment of underlying cause with medication, chemotherapy or radiation and surgery in extreme cases.