Dennis P. O’Malley

2013

The spleen has always been mysterious in the history of medicine. It has had several characters ascribed to it as a seat of emotions, or even as a site of pumping blood. However, in modern medicine, the spleen, while well understood, still leads to diagnostic challenges. This is likely due to its relative rarity as a diagnostic specimen, and the unusual combinations of pathology that can occur. However, when considered in its component parts, splenic pathology can be relatively straightforward and understood as an interesting mix of physiologic, anatomic, and pathologic components.