title: Ultrasonographic assessment of splenic volume at presentation and after anti-malarial therapy in children with malarial anaemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Splenic enlargement is a component of the host response to malaria and may also influence the genesis and progression of malarial anaemia. Few cross-sectional and no longitudinal studies have assessed the relationship between splenic volume measured ultrasonographically and haemoglobin concentrations in children with malaria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen Papua New Guinean children with severe malarial anaemia (SMA; haemoglobin<50 g/L) and ten with moderate malarial anaemia (MMA; 51-99 g/L) were recruited. The SMA patients were given intramuscular artemether followed by oral artemisinin combination therapy (ACT), and were transfused one unit of packed cells 0.3-4.0 days post-admission. The MMA patients were treated with ACT. Splenic enlargement (Hackett's grade, subcostal distance and ultrasonographically determined volume) and haemoglobin concentrations were measured on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 42.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Associations between Hackett's grade, subcostal distance and splenic volume were modest (rs≤0.62, P<0.001). Baseline splenic volume was not associated with age or haemoglobin (P≥0.90). Mean splenic volume had fallen by approximately 50% at day 14 in children with MMA (P≤0.011 vs days 0, 1 and 2), but there was no change in the SMA group (P≥0.30). There was no change in haemoglobin in the MMA group during follow-up but a rise in the SMA group to day 7 (P≤0.05 vs days 0, 1, 2, and 3) which paralleled the packed cell volume transfused.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical assessment of splenomegaly is imprecise compared with ultrasonography. Serial splenic volumes and haemoglobin concentrations suggest that the spleen does not influence post-treatment haemoglobin, including after transfusion.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Fremantle Hospital, PO Box 480, Fremantle, 6959, WA, Australia. drmlaman@yahoo.com.|Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea. drmlaman@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Moses
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laman
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea. susan.aipit@pngimr.org.pg.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aipit
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea. cathytiribona@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bona
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea. Peter.Siba@pngimr.org.pg.|Department of Microbiology, Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia. Peter.Siba@pngimr.org.pg.
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Siba
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea. robinson@wehi.edu.au.|Infection and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia. robinson@wehi.edu.au.|Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. robinson@wehi.edu.au.
authors.forename: Leanne J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Fremantle Hospital, PO Box 480, Fremantle, 6959, WA, Australia. laurens.manning@uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Laurens
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Manning
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Fremantle Hospital, PO Box 480, Fremantle, 6959, WA, Australia. tim.davis@uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Timothy M E
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology*; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000187:drug effects; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D006454:Hemoglobins