Idiopathic Tropical Splenomegaly Syndrome in Ibadan

Abstract

Follow-up of 33 patients with idiopathic splenomegaly, 25 for a period ranging from 14 to 80 months after starting treatment with proguanil 100 mg. daily, showed that there was an excellent response of the splenomegaly, anaemia, and hepatomegaly, together with a definite gain in weight. Every patient improved, though a maximum result was not attained until after at least one year's treatment. Therapy with proguanil is considered superior to and safer than splenectomy. Malaria seems unlikely to have a causal role in the aetiology of the disease, which is probably a manifestation of a disorder of the normal immune mechanism. Idiopathic splenomegaly has a close relation with the type of chronic lymphatic leukaemia seen in Nigeria, and it is possible that the two diseases have a similar aetiological factor.