In children, the size of the spleen depends entirely on their age. In the first days of life, if a child’s spleen is enlarged, this is considered normal indicator. Subsequently, the organ gradually grows. When conducting a size study, specialists always compare the age, height and weight of the child and determine the spleen norms using ultrasound.
The normal size chart for the spleen in children looks like this:
| Child's age | Length of the spleen in millimeters | Width of the spleen in millimeters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 50 – 65 | 17 – 25 |
| 2 years | 56 – 72 | 24 – 34 |
| 3 years | 61 – 79 | 27 – 37 |
| 4 years | 64 – 84 | 27 – 39 |
| 5 years | 68 – 88 | 27 – 39 |
| 6 years | 71 – 91 | 27 – 41 |
| 7 years | 74 – 96 | 27 – 41 |
| 8 years | 76 – 100 | 29 – 43 |
| 9 years | 78 – 102 | 29 – 43 |
| 10 years | 79 – 103 | 30 – 44 |
| 11 years old | 80 – 108 | 30 – 44 |
| 12 years old | 85 – 113 | 31 – 45 |
| 13 years old | 88 – 118 | 32 – 46 |
| 14 years old | 90 – 120 | 33 – 48 |
| 15 years | 90 – 120 | 34 – 49 |
| 16 years old | 91 – 121 | 35 – 51 |
This part of the body cannot be detected by palpation. It is possible to detect an organ by palpation when it is significantly enlarged. The spleen has the ability to perform several functions:
Experts call enlargement of an internal organ in a child splenomegaly. Pathological enlargement of an organ is not an independent disease; it is often a sign of other more aggressive diseases. The reasons for an enlarged spleen in a child are as follows:
Experts prescribe everything possible examinations, in the process of which the true causes of enlarged spleen in children are found.
Characteristic signs of enlargement are:
In most cases, enlargement of the liver, spleen and lymph nodes, since these organs are in direct relationship. Enlarged liver and spleen - this is the first sign of disease hematopoietic organs and blood. In some cases this symptom indicates the presence of infectious mononucleosis. Hepatolienal syndrome sign chronic lymphocytic leukemia at the last stage.
Experts determine the reason for the simultaneous increase using medical examination: blood biochemistry, X-ray studies, CT, scanning, ultrasound, MRI. These studies allow us to thoroughly examine the area of the spleen in children. Special treatment There are no enlarged organs. Causes and treatment are closely related. After all, in order to successfully carry out treatment, it is necessary to correctly diagnose the causes of this condition.
A splenic cyst in a child is usually detected completely by accident during an ultrasound scan. The treatment method for this pathology depends on the size of the formation. If a small cyst is detected, the child is monitored by specialists, and control examinations are done 2–3 times a year.
If a large or medium-sized cyst is detected, inflamed or ruptured, a surgery. In this case, the cyst is removed, and in some cases the entire organ is removed.
An enlarged spleen in a child entails the destruction of blood cells. In turn, this condition can provoke rupture of the enlarged organ. How to determine pathology and what could be the cause? Enough serious illness requires urgent medical attention.
Most often, a breakup does not occur suddenly. First, a hematoma forms, then under certain conditions it ruptures. In children, the organ is not sufficiently covered by the ribs, therefore it is poorly protected from external influences. In newborns, rupture occurs due to infectious diseases.
Characteristic symptoms of splenic rupture:
Due to increased bleeding, other signs also appear:
What should parents do if they find signs of a rupture? This pathology requires surgical intervention, so it is necessary call an ambulance as soon as possible.
Prognoses after a child has had their spleen removed vary and depend entirely on the presence of concomitant diseases. Patients who do not have problems recover after 3 to 6 months. Children after splenectomy are prescribed a course of antibiotics to prevent possible infections, since the risk of their occurrence is high.
It is not very rare that during an ultrasound, a doctor discovers two spleens. This is a common developmental anomaly and many people live with it and do not even suspect its existence. What does this mean and why does an additional lobe of the spleen appear? Experts explain this pathology So: a violation of the development of the organ occurred during the period of intrauterine life. The different locations of the accessory lobule indicate an impact specifically on the embryonic organ in different phases of development.
The size of the spleen depends on the age of the baby. However, when unfavorable conditions and various pathological processes, the load on the organ increases and it begins to increase in size. This phenomenon is called, it requires additional examination.
As the child grows, the organ increases in size. There are tables with the average size of the spleen in at different ages, however, they include average data.
For example, children born the same year may have different heights and weight, respectively, the size of the spleen in such children will differ. A normal error is considered to be a deviation of no more than 5-6 mm from the average parameters.
Average sizes of the spleen in children of different ages:
Splenomegaly in children resulting from primary damage to the spleen is rare. As a rule, an enlarged spleen is an independent symptom of a disease. Pathologies leading to splenomegaly include:
With an enlarged spleen, children may complain of a feeling of fullness in the stomach, and their appetite may be reduced. This is due to the fact that the enlarged organ compresses neighboring ones, causing discomfort. In addition, there are other signs of splenomegaly:
Splenomegaly is diagnosed by a pediatrician who observes the child. He assesses the size of the organ, the degree of its enlargement, makes an assumption why it is enlarging, and draws up a plan diagnostic examination to identify the cause of pathological changes.
If necessary, the child is sent for examination to a more specialized specialist - a surgeon, hematologist, infectious disease specialist, or oncologist.
Diagnostic measures in newborns and older children always begin with palpation of the spleen. U infants the size of the organ depends on the intensity of blood supply, so palpation does not always provide objective information.
Diagnostic measures include:
Treatment of splenomegaly is always aimed at eliminating the underlying pathology. In case of bacterial infection and severe inflammatory process, the child is prescribed antibacterial drug, having previously determined the sensitivity of microorganisms to various drugs.
The choice of medications should be made by a doctor. As a rule, the problem can be solved conservatively. If ineffective drug treatment When there is no tendency to reduce the size of the organ, a decision is made to remove the spleen. performed under anesthesia in cases where an enlarged organ interferes with the normal functioning of other important systems.
The following measures are taken as measures to prevent splenomegaly in children:
It is necessary to vaccinate the child in a timely manner, in accordance with the calendar preventive vaccinations. Refusal of injections entails an increased risk of infection dangerous infections, which have an extremely negative effect on the functioning of the spleen. It is especially important to get vaccinated before traveling to exotic countries.
Excessive enlargement of the spleen in a child provokes interruptions in the functioning of the body, especially in hematopoietic system And metabolic processes. All this has a significant impact on protective properties, making the child vulnerable to many diseases. A timely diagnosed problem and treatment will help to quickly correct the size of the organ.
The spleen is located next to the stomach, to the left of it. It's not vital internal organ, but very useful - it stores oxygen-enriched blood and also helps cleanse it of viruses and bacteria. The functioning of the spleen largely depends on protective forces body. Why does the spleen sometimes increase in size in children? The reasons for its increase are chronic and infectious diseases or tumors. Treatment is carried out traditional method, but folk remedies are also used to get rid of the disease.
If there is any suspicion of an enlarged spleen, you should immediately contact a qualified doctor. medical careAn enlarged spleen is called splenomegaly. This disease does not occur independently, but is a consequence of other diseases. The causes of the pathology may be:
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Symptoms of splenomegaly appear only when the spleen is greatly enlarged. This occurs due to compression of neighboring organs by the spleen.
When the spleen enlarges, it compresses neighboring organs, which appears nearby painful symptoms Signs of pathology:
To prescribe treatment for an enlarged spleen, the use of diagnostic methods is required:
To accurately diagnose splenomegaly, it is necessary to undergo an ultrasound examination of the organ. Treatment for spleen depends on the stage of the disease. Sometimes surgical intervention is not necessary, in some cases it is enough traditional methods or drug therapy. The goal of therapy is to get rid of the causes of splenomegaly.
Splenectomy is an operation to completely or partial removal spleen. It is carried out only if the organ has lost its functions, and its presence in the human body causes more harm than surgery, as well as at critical magnification, internal bleeding or ruptured spleen.
After the diagnosis is made, the doctor prescribes treatment medicines. Self-medication is impossible, as it can lead to serious complications. What to do with the patient (use conservative or surgical treatment), is decided solely by the doctor.
If the disease is caused by bacteria, antibacterial drugs are prescribed medicines, if viruses - antiviral. When the spleen is enlarged due to tumor formation, antitumor drugs are used.
When the disease contributes to a decrease in immunity, an appointment is prescribed hormonal medications and vitamins.
When treating an enlarged spleen, it is important to follow a diet. Fatty and heavy foods are not used in the child's diet. Also exclude the intake of canned foods and semi-finished products. The patient is transferred to fractional meals, in which it is necessary to eat often, but in small portions.
To improve the health of the spleen and improve its blood supply, the child’s diet should include the following products:
If there is a pathology, the child must comply special diet In the treatment of splenomegaly in children, along with drug therapy folk remedies are also used. To achieve better effect To prevent harm to your child, you should consult your doctor.
The following remedies help with an enlarged spleen:
St. John's wort decoction is an effective folk remedy for various diseases of the spleen. To prevent enlargement of the spleen, a number of preventive measures must be taken:
Splenomegaly – pathological condition, which is characterized by an enlarged spleen. This is not an independent disease, but important symptom another illness. It is also worth noting that an enlarged spleen can be diagnosed in 5% of completely healthy people.
Sometimes splenomegaly can occur simultaneously with liver enlargement. In this case, they talk about progression.
This pathological condition can occur in people from different age groups, including in young children. The spleen is an unpaired organ that is located in the abdominal cavity on the left side. This is a kind of anatomical “filter” that has the ability to retain pathogenic microorganisms, as well as damaged blood cells, and prevent them from spreading further throughout the human body.
There are many reasons for the progression of splenomegaly. The symptoms depend on what exactly provoked the enlargement of the organ, as well as further treatment illness in children and adults.
The most common cause of progression of splenomegaly are infectious agents:
Other causes of splenomegaly:
In medicine, there are two forms of splenomegaly, which can manifest in both adults and children:
The inflammatory form of the disease develops under the influence helminthic infestations, bacterial infections, due to infarction and abscess of the spleen (a common cause of progression). Against the background of all this, a decrease in its basic functions occurs, as well as tissue inflammation.
The non-inflammatory form of the pathology occurs without tissue inflammation. But there is a decrease in immunocompetent and selective function. Precede its development autoimmune pathologies, anemia, diseases of the hematopoietic organs, etc.
The clinical picture may differ slightly depending on what form of the disease was diagnosed in the person. It is also worth noting that the symptoms of splenomegaly are more pronounced in children.
Symptoms of the inflammatory form:
Symptoms of the non-inflammatory form:
If any of the above symptoms occur, you should immediately consult a doctor to undergo diagnostics and clarify the diagnosis. The main task of a medical specialist is to accurately establish the pathology that caused the progression of splenomegaly.
The standard diagnostic program includes:
Treatment of splenomegaly is carried out only in hospital conditions. Treatment folk remedies It is prohibited to carry out at home, as this can lead to a worsening of the patient’s condition, as well as the development of complications.
The first thing that medical specialists need to do is to find out the true reason for the progression of the pathological condition in the patient. It is important to accurately establish the disease that caused splenomegaly, since first of all it is necessary to cure it.
Treatment of splenomegaly in children and adults includes the use of:
In heavy clinical situations resort to surgical treatment- the organ is removed.
There is currently no specific prevention that could protect a person from sudden pathological enlargement of the spleen. But various preventive measures that will help prevent the development of conditions that provoke splenomegaly:
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Diseases with similar symptoms:
Jaundice – pathological process, the formation of which is influenced high concentration bilirubin in the blood. The disease can be diagnosed in both adults and children. Any disease can cause such a pathological condition, and they are all completely different.
The lymph glands located on both sides of the neck sometimes become inflamed and swollen with a mild or severe throat infection. Most often, swollen lymph nodes occur due to inflammation of the tonsils caused by streptococci or viruses. Sometimes the infection spreads to the lymph nodes themselves. In this case, they greatly increase in size and become painful. If the lymph nodes are severely enlarged, you should call a doctor. Treatment is carried out with antibiotics.
After some throat infections, the lymph nodes may remain slightly swollen for several weeks or even months. The reasons for this may also be diseases of the oral cavity or scalp and such general diseases like measles. It is necessary to consult a doctor, but if the doctor considers that the child is generally healthy, then there is no need to worry about blindly swollen lymph nodes.
Lymphadenopathy recorded by increase, change in consistency and identification of nodes in atypical places. A node larger than 1 cm is usually considered enlarged. Causes: proliferation of tumor lymphocytes and macrophages directly in the lymph node; infiltration by metastatic malignant cells; infiltration of the lymph node with macrophages, unmetabolized lipids in storage diseases. Lymphadenitis- an inflammatory change that usually begins with enlargement and tenderness of one or more lymph nodes. Causes: infiltration by inflammatory cells during infections involving lymph nodes; an increase in the content of lymphocytes and macrophages in response to antigenic stimulation.
If no more than three nodes are palpated in each group, it is customary to speak of single lymph nodes; if more, they speak of multiple lymph nodes. Common(generalized) lymphadenopathy is considered when nodes are enlarged in two or more non-adjacent areas. The presence of generalized lymphadenopathy is an indication for clinical and laboratory examination. Enlarged lymph nodes in children are detected more often than in adults; in a greater percentage of cases it is caused by benign processes. However, physiotherapeutic procedures are not recommended until the nature of lymphadenitis is clarified.
Acute inflammation of the lymph nodes is characterized by rapid enlargement, fever and local soreness. Chronic inflammation, as a rule, lasts longer, with no or mild pain. For acute inflammatory diseases lymphadenitis usually disappears quickly, with chronic processes it lasts for a long time. Groups of nodes that feel connected to each other and move together are called welded. At chronic inflammation lymph nodes are usually clearly demarcated from surrounding tissues, with acute inflammation there may be no demarcation.
1. Infectious diseases:
2. Immunopathological diseases juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis (MZ), mucocutaneous lymphatic syndrome (MZO.Z), drug allergy, post-vaccination lymphadenitis.
3. Malignant diseases:
Local isolated enlargement of lymph nodes is always caused by changes in the corresponding region. Regional enlargement of one group of lymph nodes with pain most often occurs with staphylo- and streptococcal infections.
Damage to lymph nodes separate areas body has its own characteristics.
Increase occipital lymph nodes: inflammatory processes scalp: impetigo, boils, pediculosis, osteomyelitis of the calvarial bones; mycosis, rubella.
Increase parotid lymph nodes: average and otitis externa; mastoiditis; pyoderma of the scalp; pediculosis, furunculosis, atopic dermatitis with superinfection when localized behind the auricle.
Enlarged lymph nodes around the corner lower jaw and behind the sternocleidomastoid muscle: inflammatory processes in the oral cavity, nasopharynx or conditions after them; scarlet fever, tonsillitis; infectious mononucleosis; chronic diseases tonsils and adenoids.
Enlarged parotid and cervical nodes differentiate with cysts, mumps.
Enlarged lymph nodes behind the angle of the lower jaw and in the median triangle of the neck: scarlet fever; severe forms of sore throat; condition after a sore throat (lymphadenitis, often unilateral, becomes an independent disease, the affected nodes reach significant sizes, often undergo purulent melting); diphtheria; toxoplasmosis; disease cat scratch; Kawasaki syndrome; non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Enlarged lymph nodes in the lateral triangle of the neck: infection in the nasopharynx; tuberculosis of the lymph nodes; lymphogranulomatosis; lymphoma. Enlargement of the posterior cervical nodes occurs with dandruff.
Enlarged mental lymph nodes: alveolar process abscess; stomatitis; infectious dermatitis on the lower lip.
Enlarged submandibular lymph nodes: odontogenic inflammation of the jaw; stomatitis; gingivitis. The changed nodes enlarge and often adhere to the periosteum of the lower jaw; they are again delimited and become mobile after treatment with antibiotics.
Enlarged axillary lymph nodes: infectious processes of various etiologies in the arm and shoulder area: pyoderma; chicken pox; cat scratch disease; lesion after BCG vaccination (unilateral enlargement of nodes for no more than 3 months, they can also calcify).
Enlarged ulnar lymph nodes: infection in the hand or forearm.
Enlarged inguinal lymph nodes: infection in the lower extremities (skin, muscles, bones): osteomyelitis; arthritis; diaper dermatitis; impetigo; furunculosis in the gluteal region; pemphigoid in swaddling areas; balanoposthitis. Cat scratch disease if it penetrates the skin lower limb. Frequent wounds to the skin of the legs and feet, infection of these wounds in young children and preschool age lead to the fact that most of them have groin area nodes increase.
When the intrathoracic lymph nodes are enlarged, tuberculosis is diagnosed in 96% of cases, lymphogranulomatosis in 1%, nonspecific lymphadenitis in 1%, and sarcoidosis in 1.5%, which is the most difficult to diagnose.
Survey. Determining the nature of the disease begins with collecting an anamnesis. General symptoms such as weight loss, fever, weakness, sweating suggest tuberculosis, diseases connective tissue, unrecognized infections or tumors. When examining lymph nodes, inspection and sliding palpation are used. The following characteristics are used to describe lymph nodes:
It is also necessary to note the symmetry, number of nodes, skin changes, and the presence of lymphangitis. If the lymph nodes of one group are enlarged, it is necessary to examine all the others to exclude generalization (generalized lymphadenopathy is detected during the initial examination in only 15-20% of patients).
It is advisable to repeat careful palpation of the submandibular, anterior and posterior cervical, supraclavicular, axillary and inguinal nodes after several hours or days. Medical examination should include determination of the size of the liver and spleen, percussion of the intrathoracic and palpation of the lymph nodes of the abdominal cavity.
In case of unclear lymphadenopathy, an analysis of the dynamics is required tuberculin tests, clinical analysis blood, platelet and reticulocyte counting, radiography chest, Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity. If you suspect infectious process It is advisable to determine laboratory indicators of inflammation activity and serological diagnostics.
In acute lymphadenitis, diagnosis can be made by trial treatment (ex juvanubus) with antibiotics wide range action within 8-10 days. Improvement in the condition and reduction of the tumor suggests the bacterial nature of the inflammation.
If a disease of the blood system is suspected, the child is examined by a hematologist. If hematological changes are detected that are suspicious for the presence of hemoblastosis, a sternal puncture is necessary. Not all patients with enlarged lymph nodes require histological examination of the node tissue; many infections and rheumatological diseases are more successfully diagnosed taking into account anamnesis, serological or bacteriological studies.
Changes in the lymph nodes in such patients are usually nonspecific. Patients in whom a tumor is initially suspected should undergo a biopsy; the best material is a lymph node that has been removed entirely. For research, the largest and most altered node should be removed if possible.
Splenomegaly accompanies various diseases; clinical assessment this symptom may be difficult. Often combined with enlarged lymph nodes and liver.
Main causes of splenomegaly
Indications for hospitalization for enlarged lymph nodes and spleen
