Morphological and Morphometric Study of Spleen in Cadavers of Doaba Region of Punjab, India

Abstract

Introduction: Spleen is a clinically important haemolymphoid organ. It can show a wide range of morphological variation. Size of spleen varies with age and in certain disorders. Splenomegaly is an important diagnostic tool in understanding the aetiology of various diseases. Aim: To study the morphology, and analyse the morphometric dimensions of cadaveric spleens of Doaba region of Punjab. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy at Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar, Punjab, India. A total of 30 formalin fixed cadaveric spleens of both sexes were studied. The spleen specimens were observed for their morphological features and various morphometric parameters were measured on them. Results: In the present study, the length of spleen ranged from 6.27-15.01 cm, and the mean length was 10.45±1.94 cm. The range of breadth was between 4.78 cm and 10.00 cm, and with the mean of 7.12±1.50 cm. The width of spleen varied from 2.96-6.50 cm, with the mean of 4.20±1.11 cm. Weight of spleen ranged between 34.35-269.25 g, and the mean weight was 139.08±63.07 g. On the superior border, the number of notches varied from 0-4, whereas on inferior border upto 3 notches were seen. The shape of spleen was wedge in majority (53.33%) of the specimens. Conclusion: In the present study, the morphological and morphometric analysis of spleen in Doaba region of Punjab was found to be comparable to the other regions of India. However, it was observed that the mean length was comparatively higher. Also, the number of spleens with notches on both the superior and inferior borders were higher compared to other Indian studies.

Keywords

• morphometry
• splenic notches
• splenomegaly