title: [The spleen: between mysteries and discoveries].
abstract: Mainly because it is possible to live without it, the spleen has always been considered a secondary and mysterious organ. However, recent observations have revealed new unsuspected functions for this organ whose patho-physiological importance should be reconsidered. Much less known than the hypersplenism, the hyposplenism corresponds historically to the loss or the insufficiency of the two principal functions of spleen: the filtration of faded or senescent elements from the blood and the fight against infections. In this article, after a short recall of the physiological functions of spleen, three innovations relating to hyposplenism will be explored: the vascular complications, the loss of the splenic pool of regenerating monocytes and the loss of the splenic pool of pluripotent mesenchymal stem cell.
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine interne, CHUV BH 10.640, 1011 Lausanne.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leuenberger
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sartori
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D010587:Phagocytosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013154:Spleen / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000503:physiopathology