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PA19.4 | Welcome to Splenomegaly — Causes & Differentiation
Learning Objectives
- Describe the normal structure and functions of the spleen (red pulp vs. white pulp).
- Define splenomegaly and massive splenomegaly with clinical thresholds.
- Enumerate the causes of splenomegaly using a mechanistic framework.
- Identify the causes of massive splenomegaly and apply them in clinical reasoning.
- Define hypersplenism and distinguish it from simple splenomegaly.
- Explain the haematological effects of splenectomy and the associated infection risk.
INSTRUCTIONS
Splenomegaly is one of the most examined signs in internal medicine and surgical pathology. Mastering a mechanistic framework — not a raw memorised list — is the fastest route to answering both MCQ stems and long-case viva questions. This module builds that framework from first principles: spleen structure → functions → how each function, when overwhelmed or disrupted, produces the disease categories you see in the wards. Year-2 connects here to everything you have studied in Cluster H5 (haemolytic anaemias), H7 (CML), and H8 (lymphomas) — this is the integrating lens.
References
- Robbins & Kumar: Pathologic Basis of Disease, 10th ed., Ch 13 (White Blood Cells, Lymph Nodes, Spleen, and Thymus) (textbook)
- Harsh Mohan: Textbook of Pathology, 7th ed., Ch 30 (Diseases of the Spleen) (textbook)
Version 2.0 | NMC CBUC 2024