Spleen - Location & Function -

What is a spleen

The spleen, the largest lymphatic organ. The normal position of the spleen is within the peritoneal
cavity in the left upper quadrant of the abdominal cavity adjacent to ribs nine through 12, just
beneath the left diaphragm. The spleen lies behind and to the left side of your stomach (see Figure
1). The normal sized spleen abuts the stomach, colon, and left kidney The spleen resembles a large
lymph node and is subdivided into lobules (see Figure 3). However, unlike the lymphatic sinuses of
a lymph node, the spaces in the spleen, called venous sinuses, are filled with blood instead of
lymph.

A normal spleen ranges in length from 6 to 13 cm and in weight from 75 to 200 g 1). The spleen is
not normally palpable except in slender young adults 2). When the spleen can be felt below the left
costal (rib) margin, at rest or on inspiration, spleen enlargement should be assumed and the
explanation sought. Although the normal-size or even the abnormally small, spleen can be involved
in pathologic processes, with the exception of rubs associated with splenic infarcts, physical
examination is generally not helpful in identifying the problem. Nevertheless, the enlarged and
palpable spleen is an important clue to the presence of a variety of illnesses 3).