MORPHOMETRIC STUDY OF SPLEEN IN CADAVERS OF SOUTH COASTAL REGION

Abstract

Introduction: The spleen has always been a mysterious organ of seemingly occult function as well as a forbidding organ of extreme vulnerability for the surgeon. But on both fronts, it has yielded considerable ground. The spleen is the largest soft, highly vascularised, lymphatic organ located partially in the epigastrium and mainly in the left hypochondrium. Spleen acts as a lter for blood, storage of lymphocytes and platelets. Old red blood cells are recycled in the spleen. It metabolizes the haemoglobin removed from old senescent RBCs. The knowledge of morphometric variations of spleen helps clinicians, radiologist and surgeons to differentiate it from the various splenic injuries and pathologies The aim of Aims: the study is to nd the morphometric variations of spleen. The present study was done on 68 adult hum Materials and Methods: an spleens of unknown sex. The morphometric features like shape, presence of notches, length, breadth and thickness were noted. Out of 68 spleens Results: studied, ve different shapes of the spleen were observed. 32 spleens were wedge shaped (41%), 20 spleens were triangular shaped (20%), 10 spleens were tetrahedral (12.8%), 16 spleens were oval shaped (20.5%), 0 spleens were irregular shaped (0%). 26 spleens (33.33%) had notches on its superior border, 4 spleens (5.12%) had notches on its inferior border, 32 spleens (41%) had notches both in their superior and inferior borders, 16 spleens (20.51%) were found with absence of notch on either of its borders.The presence of splenic ssure on diaphragmatic surface were noted in 9 (11.53) spleens. The length of the spleen varied between 7cms to 19cms, the breadth of the spleens varied between 4cms to 12cms and the thickness of the spleens varied between 2cms to 8cms The knowledge of morphometric features Conclusion: of the spleen is of great importance to the clinicians, radiologists and surgeons for their surgical procedure