SPLENIC ENLARGEMENT IN HYPERTHYROIDISM

Abstract

Splenic enlargement in hyperthyroidism has been very little mentioned in the voluminous literature on diseases of the thyroid gland. The occurrence of nodules, clumps and diffusely scattered lymphoid cells within the thyroid gland in exophthalmic goiter is an observation of long standing. A moderate lymphocytosis in the circulating blood of these cases has also been generally observed. MacCallum¹ speaks of a generalized hyperplasia of the fixed lymphatic tissue. Foster² includes the spleen in the generalized lymphoid reaction but does not convey an accurate notion as to the degree of splenic enlargement in exophthalmic goiter. Cameron and Sedziak³ found that the feeding of thyroid extract to adult white rats resulted in a relative and absolute increase in the weight of most visceral organs. The increase in weight of the spleen and lymph nodes was proportionally more than that of other organs. We have recently become impressed by the