The Complete Spleen

In this thoroughly revised and updated second edition, a panel of distinguished clinical researchers from around the world takes stock of the wealth of new knowledge about the human spleen and applies it to the pathology and treatment of splenic diseases. This much enriched understanding encompasses the spleen's complex role in immunological defense, the recently defined function of particulate filtration by the spleen, and the structural basis for the functions of the spleen, most particularly the microvasculature around which it is organized. Among the diseases and disorders of the spleen considered in detail are splenomegaly, the consequences and management of hyper- and hyposplenism, and "dilutional anemia." Recent advances in splenic surgery are also reviewed, especially those techniques intended to preserve at least partial function while removing the greater part of the organ.

Since the publication of The Complete Spleen: Structure, Function, and Clinical Disorders under the title of The Spleen in 1990, there has appeared a wealth of new information that now demands incorporation into the diagnosis and management of patients with splenic disorders. In this 2nd edition, an international panel of distinguished clinical and scientific investigators has thoroughly revised and updated Professor Anthony Bowdler's classic work, emphasizing those functions principally reserved to the spleen, especially the spleen's microvasculature, uniquely adapted to particle filtration, and the consequent mechanisms of its immune responses.
Among the disease aspects critically surveyed in rich detail are the causes of splenic enlargement, the meaning of hypersplenism, hyposplenism and its causes and management, and the unusual cytopenias that accompany the disorders of the spleen, including those caused by maldistribution and dilutional anemias. Diseases given focused attention include the myelo- and lymphoproliferative disorders, hemolytic diseases, and the sickle-cell disorders. These are followed by details of the radiological examination of the spleen, of the present status of surgical intervention, with emphasis on tissue and functional conservation, and of the recently developed laparoscopic methods.
Comprehensive and state-of-the-art, The Complete Spleen: Structure, Function, and Clinical Disorders makes available to all physicians and clinical researchers a coherent account of today's dramatically more detailed knowledge of the spleen and its unique functions as part of the immune system, as well as our optimal current strategies for the management of its pathologies.