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The Daily Insight

What does Hypersplenism mean

Author

Sarah Silva

Updated on April 18, 2026

Hypersplenism is an overactive spleen. The spleen is an organ found in the upper left side of your abdomen. The spleen helps filter old and damaged cells from your bloodstream. If your spleen is overactive, it removes the blood cells too early and too quickly.

What are the symptoms of Hypersplenism?

  • Pain or fullness in the left upper belly that can spread to the left shoulder.
  • A feeling of fullness without eating or after eating a small amount because the spleen is pressing on your stomach.
  • Low red blood cells (anemia)
  • Frequent infections.
  • Bleeding easily.

Is Hypersplenism the same as splenomegaly?

Essentially, any disorder that causes enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly) can cause hypersplenism. That’s because as your spleen becomes enlarged, it holds more and more blood cells. This includes damaged and healthy blood cells.

What causes Hypersplenism?

Examples include i) infections such as viral hepatitis, brucellosis, subacute or chronic diseases (7), infectious mononucleosis syndrome and malaria; ii) alcohol use such as long-term or excessive drinking; iii) portal hypertension (PH), such as liver cirrhosis of various causes including post-hepatitic cirrhosis, …

How does liver disease cause Hypersplenism?

A number of mechanisms causing hypersplenism have been identified, and mainly involve retention in the spleen, phagocytosis, and autoimmunity.

Is Hypersplenism hereditary?

Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is an inherited disease that affects the red blood cells. Characteristic symptoms of HS are the destruction of red blood cells in the spleen and their removal from the blood stream (hemolytic anemia), a yellow tone to the skin (jaundice), and an enlarged spleen (splenomegaly).

What is the root word for Hypersplenism?

noun. pathology. abnormal enlargement of the spleen. Word origin. C20: from Greek splēno-, from splēn spleen + megalo-, from megas large + -y3.

What causes Hyposplenism?

The two most time-honored diseases associated with the development of hyposplenism are sickle cell anemia and celiac disease. Hyposplenism is relatively easy to recognize by typical changes observed on the peripheral blood smear; including Howell-Jolly bodies, monocytosis, lymphocytosis, and increased platelet counts.

Is water good for spleen?

To keep your spleen, lymphatic system and immune system working properly, you should drink plenty of water, exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight.

Does Hypersplenism cause thrombocytopenia?

Increased splenic platelet pooling is the primary cause of the thrombocytopenia of hypersplenism. In patients with hypersplenism, as much as 90% of the total platelet mass can be found in the spleen. In hypersplenism, the platelet count is usually 50,000-150,000/µL.

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Why does Hypersplenism occur in portal hypertension?

Portal hypertension is a main cause of hypersplenism in CLD. In portal hypertension, splenic arterial blood flow increases and splenic venous flow into the portal vein is impeded by elevated portal pressure, which cause congestion of intrasplenic blood flow and spleen enlargement.

What is the ICD 10 CM code for Hypersplenism?

D73. 1 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes.

How does liver disease affect platelets?

Increased platelet destruction occurs in cirrhosis through increased shear stress leading to an increased rate of platelet aggregation, immunologic destruction, increased fibrinolysis, bacterial translocation, and infection.

What stage of cirrhosis is portal hypertension?

Portal hypertension is the major driver in the transition from the compensated to the ‘decompensated’ stage of cirrhosis [5], defined by the presence of clinical complications, including ascites [6], bleeding from gastroesophageal varices [7], spontaneous bacterial peritonitis [8], hepatorenal syndrome [6], and hepatic …

What is functional asplenia?

Functional asplenia occurs when splenic tissue is present but does not work well (e.g. sickle-cell disease, polysplenia) -such patients are managed as if asplenic-, while in anatomic asplenia, the spleen itself is absent.

What is the root word for Chondroma?

nounWord forms: plural chonˈdromas or chonˈdromata (ˈkɑndroʊmətə ) a cartilaginous, benign tumor. Word origin. chondro- + -oma. Word Frequency.

Can Hypersplenism cause pancytopenia?

This is a pancytopenia occurring in patients with an enlarged spleen. It is due to large numbers of cells being pooled and destroyed in the spleen’s reticulo-endothelial system, and haemodilution because of an increased plasma volume. It can present with symptoms of anaemia, infection, or bleeding.

What does Spherocytosis mean?

Hereditary spherocytosis is an inherited blood disorder. It happens because of a problem with the red blood cells (RBCs). Instead of being shaped like a disk, the cells are round like a sphere. These red blood cells (called spherocytes) are more fragile than disk-shaped RBCs.

What does spherocytes mean?

Spherocytosis facts Spherocytosis is the production of abnormal red blood cells that are in the shape of a sphere instead of the concave disk shape of normal red blood cells, resulting in fragile and abnormal red blood cells.

What spherocytes mean?

Specialty. Hematology. Spherocytosis is the presence in the blood of spherocytes, i.e erythrocytes (red blood cells) that are sphere-shaped rather than bi-concave disk shaped as normal. Spherocytes are found in all hemolytic anemias to some degree.

Which tea is good for spleen?

When it comes to the Spleen, licorice helps with digestion and managing blood flow throughout the body. Try drinking licorice root tea after a meal–it’s nice and sweet and will help you digest your food. If you’re not a fan of tea, licorice is also usually available in pills and tinctures.

Which juice is good for spleen?

PineappleStrengthens the stomach and spleen, counteracts heat, drains water to help reduce phlegm, aids indigestionGingerHot pungent spice, strengthens stomach and spleen, promotes Qi (energy), resolves phlegmLemonsSupports spleen, promotes qi, resolves phlegm

Why do Chinese not drink cold water?

According to ancient Chinese medicine, drinking a glass of warm water in the morning helps kick-start the digestive system. Hot water and warm water, because of its temperature, supposedly aids blood flow. … On the other hand, cold water slows down organ function and causes muscles to contract.

What is Autosplenectomy?

An autosplenectomy (from ‘auto-‘ self, ‘-splen-‘ spleen, ‘-ectomy’ removal) is a negative outcome of disease and occurs when a disease damages the spleen to such an extent that it becomes shrunken and non-functional.

What are the indications for splenectomy?

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.

When do you need a vaccine after splenectomy?

Timing of vaccination relative to splenectomy: 2. If the doses cannot be given prior to the splenectomy, they should be given at least 14 days after surgery or prior to discharge, whichever is earliest. Some data suggest poor vaccine responses within 14 days after splenectomy.

How does Hypersplenism cause neutropenia?

The neutropenia of hypersplenism is caused by an increase in the marginated granulocyte pool, a portion of which is located in the spleen. The neutropenia of hypersplenism is usually asymptomatic.

Is thrombocythemia a blood disorder?

What is thrombocythemia? Thrombocythemia is a disease in which your bone marrow makes too many platelets. Platelets are blood cell fragments that help with blood clotting. Having too many platelets makes it hard for your blood to clot normally.

What are the signs of portal hypertension?

  • Gastrointestinal bleeding: Black, tarry stools or blood in the stools; or vomiting of blood due to the spontaneous rupture and bleeding from varices.
  • Ascites: An accumulation of fluid in the abdomen.

How long can one live with portal hypertension?

These complications result from portal hypertension and/or from liver insufficiency. The survival of both stages is markedly different with compensated patients having a median survival time of over 12 years compared to decompensated patients who survive less than 2 years (1, 3).

What is Portal HTN?

Portal hypertension is elevated pressure in your portal venous system. The portal vein is a major vein that leads to the liver. The most common cause of portal hypertension is cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver.