Causes Of Splenomegaly

Splenomegaly means an enlarged spleen. The spleen must be enlarged to about 3 times its norml size before it becomes clinically palpable. The lower margin may feel notched on palpation. In some cases the spleen may become so massively enlarged that it can be palpated in the right illiac fossa.
 Splenomegaly may lead to hypersplenism in which there is pancytopenia (decreased blood cells) as cells become trapped and destroyed in an overactive spleen.

Causes Of Splenomegaly:

1. Infective Causes: 
- Bacterial :

• Typhoid
• Typhus
• Tuberculosis
• Septecaemia
• Abscess

- Viral:

• Glandular fever (infectious mononucleosis) 

- Spirochaetal:

• Syphillis
• Leptospirosis

-Protozoal:

• Malaria.

-Parasitic:

• Hydatid cyst. 

2. Inflammatory causes:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Sarcoidosis
• Lupus
• Amyloid

3. Neoplastic:

• Leukemia
• Lymphoma
• Polycythemia vera
• Myelofibrosis
• Primary tumors
• Metastasis.

4. Hemolytic disease:

• Hereditary spherocytosis
• Acquired hemolytic anemia
• Thromocytopenic purpura

5. Storage Disease:

• Gaucher's disease

6. Deficiency Diseases:

• Pernicious anemia
• Severe iron deficiency anemia. 

7. Splenic vein hypertension: 

• Cirrhosis
• Splenic vein thrombosis
• Portal vein thrombosis

8. Non-Parasitic cysts.