title: [Drug--induced splenomegaly].
abstract: The diagnosis of splenomegaly due to drugs is based on a recent history of exposure to a drug before the spleen enlargement. The purpose of this paper is to review studies of the literature on drugs that may induce to splenomegaly. Drugs may provoke the enlargement of spleen by direct effect in splenic cells or as a side effect of disturbances in other organs, mainly liver and haematoimmunologic system. Some drugs provoke severe haemolysis associated with splenomegaly. Another cause of spleen increasing in size is the venous congestion due to liver disturbance with portal vein occlusion. All these drug side effects are usually transitory and splenomegaly disappears when the medication is discontinued. This is a complex problem that must be better studied to be understood in order to prevent its occurrence and to find the best treatment.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirurgia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brasil.
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petroianu
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000139:chemically induced*