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Portal vein thrombosis following splenectomy

AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the risk and progress of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) after splenectomy. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in which two groups of patients were compared; each group comprised 50 patients (27 men, 23 women). Patients in the splenectomy group were of mean age 46.3 years. A second group of patients (mean age 48.5 years) had upper abdominal surgery other than splenectomy. All patients were examined before and 2 weeks after operation by duplex Doppler ultrasonography (DDUS) of the portal system. Those who developed PVT were followed up by DDUS at 6 and 12 months. RESULTS: PVT developed in 10 per cent of patients who underwent splenectomy. The portal vein was completely occluded by thrombus in 4 per cent and partially occluded in 6 per cent of patients. Symptoms and signs attributable to PVT (abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and mild fever) were found in 80 per cent of those who developed this complication. Follow-up of such patients revealed complete recanalization of portal vein in 40 per cent and partial recanalization in 60 per cent after treatment with antibiotics and long-term anticoagulation therapy. No patient who underwent upper abdominal surgery (other than splenectomy) developed PVT afterwards. CONCLUSIONS: Splenectomy (compared with other upper abdominal surgery) is followed by PVT in 10 per cent of patients but can be treated successfully.

Journal Article↗

[Effect of splenectomy on development of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis]

To elucidate the effect of splenectomy on the development of experimental primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in mice, the death rate and survival time of mice infected intranasally with Naegleria fowleri trophozoites 5 x 10(4) cultivated in CGVS medium were compared according to the age when splenectomy was done, and post-operation until experimental infection. Immunodiffusion was undergone to detect the presence of serum antibody due to N. fowleri infection in mice. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was done to compare the protein fractions of mouse serum in each experimental groups. In experiment I, splenectomy was done 3 weeks and infection 4 weeks after birth, the death rate of control, sham operated and splenectomized group were 100 percent, 85 percent and 95 percent, and the mean survival time after infection 7.3 days, 7.5 days and 7.8 days, respectively. In experiment II, splenectomy was undergone 3 weeks and infection 6 weeks after birth, the death rate of control, sham operated and splenectomized group were 95 percent, 95 percent and 95 percent, and the mean survival time after infection 12.1 days, 11.5 days and 11.5 days, respectively. In experiment III, splenectomy was done 5 weeks and infection 6 weeks after birth, the death rate of control, sham operated and splenectomized group were 95 percent, 90 percent and 95 percent, and the mean survival time after infection 8.1 days, 8.3 days and 8.5 days, respectively. By Ouchterlony immunodiffusion, anti-N. fowleri antibody in the serum of mouse with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis was detected against a N. fowleri antigen, which was prepared by ultrasonication of N. fowleri trophozoites, each reacting two lines of precipitation. The patterns of serum fractions by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were different between control and sham operated groups from splenectomized group in fraction II, III and V, the sera of which were collected after N. fowleri infection. This results may be summarized as that splenectomy has no effect on the development of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in mice.

Journal Article↗

Is splenectomy necessary in devascularization procedures for treatment of bleeding portal hypertension?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether splenectomy as a part of devascularization procedures is necessary. DESIGN: Prospective, controlled, randomized trial. SETTING: University hospital, referral center. PATIENTS: A total of 55 patients (Child-Pugh class A and B) with a history of bleeding portal hypertension were treated by means of a modified Sugiura-Futagawa procedure. Twenty-three patients underwent splenectomy and 22 did not. METHODS: Postoperative outcome was recorded and comparison of the 2 groups was done with the Fisher exact test. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed. Main outcome and postoperative differences between the patients who underwent splenectomy and those who did not were investigated. RESULTS: Both groups were comparable in the postoperative period. Significant differences were observed in transfusion requirements and postoperative portal vein thrombosis, both favoring the group without splenectomy. No differences in rebleeding, encephalopathy rate, operative time, or postoperative complications were observed. CONCLUSION: Splenectomy is not routinely necessary in devascularization procedures for bleeding portal hypertension.

Adolescent↗

Trends in laparoscopic splenectomy for massive splenomegaly.

HYPOTHESIS: During the past 10 years, expertise with minimally invasive techniques has grown, leading to an increase in successful laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) even in the setting of massive and supramassive spleens. DESIGN: Retrospective series of patients who underwent splenectomy from November 1, 1995, to August 31, 2005. SETTING: Academic tertiary care center. PATIENTS: Adult patients who underwent elective splenectomy as their primary procedure (n = 111). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographics, spleen size and weight, conversion from LS to open splenectomy, postoperative length of stay, and perioperative complications and mortality. Massive splenomegaly was defined as the spleen having a craniocaudal length greater than 17 cm or weight more than 600 g, and supramassive splenomegaly was defined as the spleen having a craniocaudal length greater than 22 cm or weight more than 1600 g. RESULTS: Eighty-five (77%) of the 111 patients underwent LS. Of these 85 patients, 25 (29%) had massive or supramassive spleens. These accounted for 40% of LSs performed in 2004 and 50% in 2005. Despite this increase in giant spleens, the conversion rate for massive or supramassive spleens has declined from 33% prior to 1999 to 0% in 2004 and 2005. Since January 2004 at our institution, all of the massive or supramassive spleens have been removed with a laparoscopic approach. Patients with massive or supramassive spleens who underwent LS had no reoperations for bleeding or deaths and had a significantly shorter postoperative length of stay (mean postoperative length of stay, 3.8 days for patients who underwent LS vs 9.0 days for patients who underwent open splenectomy; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite conflicting reports regarding the safety of LS for massive splenomegaly, our data indicate that with increasing institutional experience, the laparoscopic approach is safe, shortens the length of stay, and improves mortality.

Clinical Competence↗

Changing indications for splenectomy. 30 years' experience.

During the last three decades, 2,4117 splenectomies have been performed at The Ohio State University Hospital. Indications for splenectomy include hypersplenism, incidental to other abdominal procedures, trauma, Hodgkin's staging, and other splenic disease. Hodgkin's staging has become the most frequent indication for splenectomy during the past five years, whereas splenectomy for hypersplenism has decreased. Thrombocytosis (platelet counts greater than 400,000/cu mm) was observed in 47% of all patients. Ninety-three percent of all thromboembolic complications occurred in this group. The overall morbidity of 39% has been decreased to 15% during the last five years. In-hospital mortality has decreased from 9.5% to 6%. Incidental splenectomy, even for benign disease, continues to be associated with complications and death.

Hodgkin Disease↗

Splenectomy for immune thrombocytopenic purpura.

Of 481 splenectomies performed at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 78 (16.2%) were for immune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). The mean platelet count prior to therapy was 13,800/cu mm (range, 500 to 80,000/cu mm). All but two patients were initially treated with corticosteroids, and 58.2% responded with an increase in platelets (mean, 77,900/cu mm). The indications for splenectomy included (1) failure to respond to steroids (33.8%); (2) inability to taper steroids (52.1%); (3) recurrent ITP (5.6%); and (4) miscellaneous (8.5%). There was one death following splenectomy, and the postoperative morbidity was 14.1%. Complete remission occurred in 77.3%, and 84.8% were judged to have benefited from the procedure. The remission rate following splenectomy in patients who responded to preoperative steroids was 93.2%, whereas improvement fell to 68.3% in patients who failed to respond to steroids. This study confirms the benefit of splenectomy for ITP and demonstrates a predictive correlation with response to preoperative preparation with corticosteroids in these patients.

Adolescent↗

Splenic phagocytic function after partial splenectomy and splenic autotransplantation.

We investigated splenic reticuloendothelial activity after splenic preservation procedures to determine their effect upon the phagocytic function of the spleen. We performed the following procedures in Sprague-Dawley rats: sham laparotomy, total splenectomy, hemisplenectomy, subtotal splenectomy, or total splenectomy with intraperitoneal splenic autotransplantation. At nine weeks after operation, phagocytic function of the spleen was determined by measuring radiocolloid uptake. Mean (+/- SEM) splenic phagocytic indices for sham laparotomy (41.2 +/- 2.9), hemisplenectomy (44 +/- 2.9), and subtotal splenectomy (43.2 +/- 5.2) were similar; however, the phagocytic index was reduced markedly after autotransplantation (15.8 +/- 2.2). These data demonstrate that the phagocytic function of the spleen after hemisplenectomy and subtotal splenectomy correlates highly with the weight of the splenic remnant; however, phagocytic function after autotransplantation remains reduced even after accounting for differences in splenic weight.

Animals↗

Results of a prospective randomized trial of early splenectomy in chronic myeloid leukemia. The Italian Cooperative Study Group on Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

The role of early splenectomy in the management of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) was investigated in a multicentric study with 21 contributing Hospitals. One hundred eighty-nine patients younger than 66 years of age and previously untreated, were first seen between November 1974 and May 1977, were randomized to splenectomy or to nonsplenectomy , were given the same chemotherapy (busulfan, and courses of arabinosyl cytosine, 6-thioguanine, and daunomycin), and were followed up for more than 5 years. Median survival was 45 months. No relationship of splenectomy to survival length could be shown either in the whole series, or in several subgroups that were selected according to presentation features and stage classification. Thromboembolic and vascular accidents were more frequent in the splenectomy group, and this was associated with more difficult control of platelet count. Early splenectomy is not recommended for treatment of CML.

Actuarial Analysis↗

Splenectomy in advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Forty chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients with splenomegaly were evaluated for splenectomy. Twenty were splenectomized. All but two normalized their hematocrit and all but one their platelet count. Satisfactory residual erythropoiesis as evaluated using ferrokinetics enabled prediction of a good response to splenectomy in 18 of 20 patients. The two patients who did not respond despite satisfactory residual erythropoiesis had a deteriorating blood count after splenectomy with progressive disease. The measurement of the splenic red cell volume predicted the minimal increase in hematocrit that could be expected after splenectomy. The transfusion need was abolished in 13 of 14 patients who needed red cell transfusions before splenectomy. Despite clinical improvement after the operation in all but two patients, splenectomized patients did not survive longer than nonsplenectomized patients, whether survival probability was calculated from the time of diagnosis or from the time of evaluation.

Actuarial Analysis↗

A 10-year experience with splenectomy in patients with malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at the Norwegian Radium Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Splenectomy is a major surgical intervention that has many implications for patients with malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. As debated during the last few decades, the therapeutic benefit must outweigh the surgical risk and the loss of cellular immunity. A more liberal attitude toward splenectomy developed during the years 1980-1990 at the Norwegian Radium Hospital, as illustrated by the higher number of operations performed in the last 5 years (21 patients) compared to the first 5 years (14 patients). METHODS: A 10-year retrospective review of the effects and side effects of splenectomy in 35 patients with malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was performed, based on information obtained from the patient files at the authors' institution. RESULTS: Clinical Stage IV disease was found in 29 patients (83%), and B symptoms in 15 patients (43%). At diagnosis, 26 patients (74%) had splenomegaly, and 8 patients (23%) had primary splenic lymphoma. The surgical mortality was 2.9%, and the morbidity was 37%. Infection was the most common complication, occurring in seven patients (20%). Pneumococcal vaccination had been performed in 13 patients, and the frequency of septicemia and pneumonia tended to be higher during follow-up in unvaccinated patients (not significant). Blood counts returned to normal during the first postoperative month in 18 of 25 patients (72%) who had cytopenia. After splenectomy, a durable remission was achieved in five patients (14%) who did not receive subsequent treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Splenectomy has the potential to relieve local symptoms, correct cytopenias, and modify the disease course in patients with malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, even in advanced stages, at the cost of an acceptable operative risk.

Adult↗

Long-term effect of splenectomy on transfusion requirements in thalassemia major.

Splenectomy reduces transfusion requirements in the first year after surgery in patients with thalassemia major and hypersplenism. To determine whether this response is maintained, we have studied transfusion requirements in 16 patients with thalassemia major for 2-17 years after splenectomy. Transfusion requirements remained stable (mean yearly change -0.1%) after the predictable fall in the first year after surgery. The mean change between the first postoperative year and the most recent year was -7 ml/kg. Transfusion requirements and the magnitude of change from year to year were unrelated to the time since splenectomy. These studies indicate that the effect of splenectomy on transfusion requirements is long-lasting and that large variations in annual transfusion requirements after splenectomy should prompt a search for accessory spleens or other causes of red cell destruction.

Adolescent↗

Splenectomy in patients with AIDS.

To establish the indications for splenectomy in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection we retrospectively analyzed 12 patients who underwent splenectomy. Patients with HIV infection who had immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) were excluded as they had no splenomegaly and a definite indication for splenectomy exists in some of these patients. All 12 patients were anemic; 6 were thrombocytopenic and 6 leukopenic. All patients had splenomegaly and all were febrile. At surgery 3 patients were found to have Mycobacterium avium intracellulare (MAI) infection; 2 had splenic abscess due to Salmonella group D; 1 each had cytomegalovirus (CMV) splenitis and localized Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) of the spleen. No definite histopathologic diagnosis could be made in five patients, all of whom had evidence of extramedullary hematopoiesis. The degree of splenic enlargement did not correlate with the outcome. Both clinical and hematologic improvements were achieved in patients with splenic abscess and in patients who had splenomegaly, anemia, and thrombocytopenia. The presence of either of these findings constitutes an indication for splenectomy. Anemia and/or leukopenia without thrombocytopenia failed to improve; the presence of MAI and active CMV infection also resulted in failure. The presence of either of these conditions may be considered a contraindication to splenectomy.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

No beneficial effect of splenectomy in hereditary high red cell membrane phosphatidylcholine hemolytic anemia: clinical and membrane studies of 20 patients.

The clinical features and red cell membrane characteristics of 20 patients with hereditary high red cell membrane phosphatidylcholine hemolytic anemia (HPCHA) were studied in relation to the effect of splenectomy. After splenectomy, anemia worsened and the extent of increased hemolysis in these patients was unchanged, indicating a contraindication for splenectomy. Concomitant with these results in clinical hematology, marked stomatocytic changes, increased red cell phosphatidylcholine content, and enhanced sodium transport, which were observed before splenectomy, were not improved by splenectomy.

Adolescent↗

Durable complete remission of macroglobulinemia after splenectomy: a report of two cases and review of the literature.

Two patients with macroglobulinemia (monoclonal IgM in the serum) and massive splenomegaly were incapacitated by progressive disease refractory to standard chemotherapy. In each case, palliative splenectomy was followed by a prompt, complete, and unexpected clinical remission with disappearance from the serum of the monoclonal IgM component. One patient remains free of disease 12 years after splenectomy. The other patient remained free of detectable macroglobulinemia for 13 years after splenectomy. A review of the literature revealed other cases of remission of macroglobulinemia attributable to splenectomy alone. Data in humans and animals suggest that the spleen may facilitate IgM secretion by normal and malignant B lymphocytes. Splenectomy should be considered a possible treatment option for patients with massive splenomegaly and macroglobulinemia who progress on chemotherapy.

Female↗

Splenectomy attenuates streptococcal cell wall-induced arthritis and alters leukocyte activation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of the spleen in the pathogenesis of streptococcal cell wall (SCW)-induced arthritis and determine the impact of splenectomy on monocytes and T cells involved in the arthritis. METHODS: Female Lewis rats were separated into 4 groups: 1) saline-injected, sham-operated; 2) saline-injected, splenectomized; 3) peptidoglycan-polysaccharide (PG-PS)-injected, sham-operated; and 4) PG-PS-injected, splenectomized. After a 10-day recovery period, rats received a single intraperitoneal injection of saline or PG-PS (25 microg rhamnose/gm body weight). We evaluated the effect of splenectomy on joint inflammation, histopathology, leukocyte subtypes in blood and lymph nodes, cytokines, and cell surface expression of CD44 and CD45RC in the chronic phase of the disease (day 28). RESULTS: Splenectomy dramatically decreased chronic joint inflammation and histopathologic damage as well as altered cell types in lymph nodes and peripheral blood, as analyzed by flow cytometry. Nitric oxide (NO) production, levels of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and a biomarker of Th1 cell predominance correlated with the level of joint inflammation. Surprisingly, in splenectomized animals, increased expression of adhesion molecules thought to track T cells to inflamed tissue were observed in lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: The result of splenectomy was attenuation of SCW-induced arthritis and changes in mediators of inflammation, including T cell subsets, proinflammatory cytokines, and NO production. Splenectomy may remove an important antigen reservoir and alter immune cell activation in the SCW-induced arthritis model.

Animals↗

Splenectomy for massive splenomegaly.

Splenectomy was performed on 47 patients with massive splenomegaly (spleen weight greater than 1.5 kg). With one exception, all patients had a haematological malignancy. The indications for splenectomy were for the diagnosis of unknown cause (n = 5), for the relief of pain (n = 8), as the initial treatment of hairy cell or prolymphocytic leukaemia (n = 8), and for the correction of a haematological cytopenia (n = 26). Splenectomy was completely successful in relieving pain and in establishing a diagnosis, and provided effective palliation in patients with hairy cell and prolymphocytic leukaemia. An immediate correction of a haematological cytopenia was achieved in 24 patients, and the correction was maintained for over 1 year in 11 patients. There were no postoperative deaths and morbidity was acceptably low. We conclude that patients with massive splenomegaly can derive considerable benefit from splenectomy and that massive splenomegaly should not be regarded as a contra-indication to splenectomy.

Adolescent↗

Effect of splenectomy on gram-negative bacterial clearance in the presence and absence of sepsis.

Severe sepsis leads to depression of the reticulo-endothelial system (RES) with delayed bloodstream clearance of particulate matter and bacteria. Splenectomy results in increased susceptibility to infection with encapsulated organisms but its effect on the resistance to postoperative Gram-negative infection has been little studied. We have investigated the effect of splenectomy on RES function by measurement of plasma fibronectin concentrations and bacterial clearance in the presence and absence of sepsis. In experiment 1, rabbits underwent splenectomy (n = 8) or laparotomy only (n = 8) 4 weeks before a second laparotomy. In experiment 2, animals had either splenectomy (n = 8) or laparotomy only (n = 8) followed 4 weeks later by devascularization of the appendix (sepsis). Plasma fibronectin concentrations and the blood clearance and organ distribution of an intravenous injection of 75Se-labelled viable Escherichia coli (2-3 X 10(8) colony forming units (c.f.u.] were measured 24 h after the second operation. Splenectomy resulted in: (1) a persistent reduction in plasma fibronectin concentration in the presence and absence of sepsis, and (2) a delay in the bloodstream clearance with reduced hepatic (Kupffer cell) uptake of E. coli which was exaggerated in the septic splenectomized animal. It is concluded that the spleen may be important for Gram-negative bacterial clearance, possibly related to its influence on plasma fibronectin concentration and Kupffer cell function.

Animals↗

Use of hepatectomy and splenectomy to treat hepatocellular carcinoma with cirrhotic hypersplenism.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the outcome after simultaneous hepatectomy and splenectomy with that after hepatectomy alone for hepatocellular carcinoma with associated hypersplenism. METHODS: Two hundred and four patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhotic hypersplenism were divided non-randomly into two groups. Ninety-four underwent simultaneous hepatectomy and splenectomy and 110 underwent hepatectomy alone. White blood cell (WBC) and platelet counts, total serum bilirubin levels, immune function, incidence of complications and 5-year survival rates in the two groups were compared. RESULTS: WBC and platelet counts, distribution of T cell subsets, and levels of bilirubin, interferon gamma and interleukin 2 were different between the two groups after operation. All patients who underwent hepatectomy and splenectomy but only 15.5 per cent of those who had hepatectomy alone completed adjuvant chemotherapy. The 5-year tumour-free survival rate was significantly higher after hepatectomy and splenectomy than after hepatectomy alone (37 versus 27.3 per cent; P = 0.003), although overall survival rates were similar. CONCLUSION: Simultaneous hepatectomy and splenectomy was associated with improved 5-year tumour-free survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and hypersplenism.

Adult↗