Lymphosarcoma of the Spleen

Abstract

Diagnosis of lymphosarcoma primarily involving the spleen was established by splenectomy in 11 patients. Duration of splenomegaly varied from two months to six years. In three patients the only finding was splenomegaly while eight had massively enlarged spleens with varying degrees of pancytopenia. The hypersplenic effect was abolished in all patients following splenectomy. Blood pictures compatible with lymphatic leukemia subsequently developed in 6 of 11 patients; the leukemic phase was transitory in two cases and two of the remaining four required chemotherapy. Follow-up time after surgery has ranged from 1 to 16 years with a median of 31/2 years. This experience supports the observations of others that patients with lymphosarcoma primarily involving the spleen tolerate splenectomy well and benefit from this procedure despite development of a leukemic blood picture in some cases.