title: Hypersplenism is related to age of onset of liver disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to investigate whether hypersplenism is related to the age of onset of liver disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hypersplenism was assessed in 84 consecutive cirrhotic patients attending a university hospital liver clinic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hypersplenism was present in 78% of patients and severe in 39%. Severe hypersplenism was more common in patients with cystic fibrosis liver disease (88%, P < 0.0001) and autoimmune hepatitis (60%, P = 0.0006) compared to alcoholic cirrhosis (12%). There was a significant correlation between patient age and platelet count r = 0.525, P < 0.0001 in the group as a whole and for the sub-group of patients with autoimmune hepatitis r = 0.54, P = 0.047. There was a negative correlation between age and spleen size r = -0.611, P < 0.0001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Younger patients had lower platelet counts, larger spleens and a higher incidence of hypersplenism suggesting that hypersplenism is significantly related to the age of onset of chronic liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, St Vincent's University Hospital and University College Dublin, Elm Park, Donnybrook, Dublin 4, Ireland, amccormick@oceanfree.net.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benepal
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D017668:Age of Onset; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006971:Hypersplenism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016014:Linear Models; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015996:Survival Rate