Also called: Also called: Splenic diseases
Your spleen is an organ above your stomach and under your ribs on your left side. It is about as big as your fist. The spleen is part of your lymphatic system, which fights infection and keeps your body fluids in balance. It contains white blood cells that fight germs. Your spleen also helps control the amount of blood in your body, and destroys old and damaged cells.
Certain diseases might cause your spleen to swell. You can also damage or rupture your spleen in an injury, especially if it is already swollen. If your spleen is too damaged, you might need surgery to remove it. You can live without a spleen. Other organs, such as your liver, will take over some of the spleen's work. Without a spleen, however, your body will lose some of its ability to fight infections.
- Spleen and Lymphatic System(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body_basics/spleen_lymphatic.html
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JAMA Patient Page: The Spleen(American Medical Association) - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/294/20/2660.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/294/20/2660/DC1/1
- Spleen Disorders(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec14/ch179/ch179a.html
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Abdominal Ultrasound(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=abdominus&bhcp=1
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=abdominus
- Laparoscopic Spleen Removal (Splenectomy)(Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons) - http://www.sages.org/publications/publication.php?id=PI12
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Splenectomy(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/655.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/articles/655.printerview.html
- Enlarged Spleen (Splenomegaly)(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/enlarged-spleen/DS00871/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Ruptured Spleen(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/ruptured-spleen/DS00872/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Atlas of the Body: The Lymphatic System(American Medical Association) - http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZG0S6CGJC&sub_cat=518
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Splenic Diseases(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Splenic+Diseases%22
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Splenomegaly(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Splenomegaly%22
- Article: Surgical and obstetric outcomes in adults with sickle cell disease. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18823864&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Blunt solid organ injury: do adult and pediatric surgeons treat... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18784587&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Memory B cells and pneumococcal antibody after splenectomy. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18714044&tool=MedlinePlus
- Spleen Diseases -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(splenic+diseases[majr]+OR+spleen/in[majr]+OR+spleen/ab[majr]+OR+splenectomy[majr]+OR+splenosis[majr])+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+systematic[sb])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
- Spleen Injuries(Children's Hospital Boston) - http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1630/mainpageS1630P0.html
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Spleen and Lymphatic System(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/body_basics/spleen.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/cuerpo/spleen_esp.html
- Lymphatic Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lymphaticdiseases.html
- Immune System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/immunesystem.html