Splenectomy for haematological diseases--a single institution experience.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate our experience with splenectomy for haematological disease over 15 years, focusing on the diseases and indications requiring surgery, the complications and the haematological results.


METHODS
A single institution retrospective analysis.


METHODS
Departments of Surgery, Internal Medicine and Haematology, Rabin Medical Center, Hasharon Hospital, Petah-Tikva, Israel.


METHODS
Sixty-nine patients undergoing splenectomy for haematological diseases between 1980 and 1994. PARAMETERS STUDIED: (1) the patient characteristics; (2) the haematological disorders and the indications for splenectomy; (3) the splenic size; (4) perioperative complications; (5) the haematological and other results of surgery.


RESULTS
The common disease requiring splenectomy in our patient population was immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Eighteen patients (26%) suffered from ITP, 12 (17.4%) had lymphoproliferative (LP) disorders, including 11 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), 9 (13%) immune haemolytic anaemia (IHA), 8 (11.6%) Hodgkin's disease (HD), and 8 patients with myeloproliferative diseases (MPD). Fifty-two patients (75.4%) underwent surgery for therapeutic purposes while 25 patients (36.2%) underwent diagnostic surgery. Eight patients were operated on for both indications. Patients with HD and ITP were younger (mean age in the 30th year) as opposed to patients with congestive splenomegaly and LP (mean age in the 60th year). Most patients with ITP, NHL and IHA were female. Patients with HD and ITP had a small spleen (< 300 g), in contrast with HCL and MPD (> 2400 g). No perioperative mortality was observed. Twenty-one patients (30.4%) experienced perioperative complications, including bleeding in 9 patients (13%) and infection in 10 patients (14.5%). Of the 34 patients evaluable for platelet response to splenectomy, 26 (76.5%) achieved complete response (CR), including 15 of 18 patients with ITP. Eleven of the 17 (64.7%) anaemic patients evaluable for haemoglobin (Hb) response achieved CR. Eight of the 9 leucopenic patients obtained CR. In 15 patients, splenectomy established the diagnosis, including 8 patients with NHL. In 2 others, surgery confirmed the tentative diagnosis. In 2 of the 8 HD patients the spleen was found to be involved.


CONCLUSIONS
From both therapeutic and diagnostic standpoints splenectomy is a relatively safe and effective procedure. However, no long-term follow-up data are provided to allow conclusions regarding the long-term prognosis of diseases such as myelo- or lymphoproliferative disorders.
Mittelman
M
M
Department of Medicine B, Petah-Tikva, Sackler Medical School, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.
Kyzer
S
S
Zeidman
A
A
Bendayan
D
D
Ramadan
E
E
Cohen
A
A
Cahimoff
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome