1. THE SPLEEN
• The Greek term for the spleen is splen, and
the Latin word is lien.
• Is the largest lymphatic organ in the body.
• It is a soft easily injured vascular & dark
purple organ that lies against the
diaphragm at the level between the 9th -
11th ribs on the left side of the upper
abdomen.
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3. • Its long axis runs parallel to the 10th
rib. i.e. it is directed downwards,
forwards & laterally.
• Its shape varies according to its
position in the abdomen but it usually
has a shape similar to a coffee bean.
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5. • Is about : 12cm long,
: 8cm wide,
: 3cm thick and
: 150 gm in weight.
• To be palpable the spleen has to be
enlarged by about 2-3 times or it
should be dislocated.
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7. Functions of the spleen
1. Filtration - it is a lymphatic organ that
filters blood
2. Defence - production of lymphocytes.
3. Storage
a. Storage of red blood corpuscles &
destruction of aged, damaged and
abnormally shaped RBC’s by the help of
the sinus endothelial cells and
macrophages of the splenic cords.
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8. 4. Cytopoiesis - from the 4th month of foetal life
on, the spleen is an important hemopoietic
organ.
• In some anemias and myeloid leukemia the
red pulp of the spleen may revert to its
haemopoietic function even in the postnatal
life.
• Total removal of the spleen will be associated
with diminished defence reaction of the body.
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9. External feature
The spleen has: two ends (ant. and Post.),
: three borders (Sup,Inf,Int), &
: two surfaces (D and V)
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15. Hilum- lies on the inferomedial part of the
gastric impression along the long
axis the spleen.
- vessels and nerves enter and leave
the spleen.
• Splenic artery lies cranial to the splenic vein.
• Accessory splenic tissue can appear in any
portion of the abdominal cavity, but chiefly in
the tail of the pancreas.
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17. Blood vessels of the spleen
1. Artery - splenic artery the largest branch of
the celiac trunk runs along the superior border of
the pancreas to reach the hilum of the spleen.
• Before entering the spleen it divides into numerous
branches.
Along its course it gives branches to the
• pancreatic arteries,
• short gastric arteries and
• the left gastroepiploic artery.
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20. 2. Vein
– Venous blood from the spleen is drained by
splenic vein that leaves the spleen at its hilum
and runs to the right behind the body of the
pancreas but below the splenic artery.
- It joins the superior mesenteric vein behind the
neck of the pancreas to form the portal vein.
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21. The splenic vein
often receives the -
- inferior
mesenteric vein,
- pancreatic veins,
- left gastroepiploic
vein and
- short gastric
veins.
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23. • It joins the superior mesenteric vein behind
the neck of the pancreas to form the portal
vein.
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24. 4. Nerves – fibres from the celiac plexus
following the artery as splenic plexus. Most
of them are postganglionic sympathetic
fibres to the smooth muscle of the capsule,
trabeculae and the splenic vessels in the
pulp.
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