Ask a doctor on the topic of Internal medicine

Strange changes in spleen size - 6-month loss of appetite

August 13, 2016 | 15,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Hello,
since March, my spleen has been constantly changing its size. In addition, I have had a lack of appetite since the end of February 2016 without significant weight loss, as I eat regularly but do not feel hungry.

Spleen size on 03/14: 15 cm
Spleen size on 06/09: 10.96 cm (normal size)
Spleen size on 08/12: 14.5cm

What could be behind this? It is an absolute mystery.. Additionally, the Virchow lymph node is slightly enlarged, pea-sized, but movable and not tender to the touch.

What do you recommend for further investigation? In which disease does the spleen size change so significantly?

Dr. med. Frauke Gehring

Hello,

The spleen enlarges when infections or blood disorders are present. However, one should also consider a measurement error; it can happen quite quickly to choose the wrong diagonal, which may have happened during the measurement on 9.6.

I would recommend doing a blood test, determining inflammation markers (CRP, ESR), and performing a stomach endoscopy. Gastritis, for example, could be a plausible cause.

Best regards, Dr. Höllering