Blood Volume Changes in Splenomegaly

Abstract

S ummary . Blood volume changes have been measured in 65 patients with splenomegaly due to a miscellany of causes. The red‐cell mass is often normal despite the fact that anaemia is present, and the anaemia is in part due to sequestration of red cells in a splenic pool and haemodilution of the red cells in an expanded plasma volume. Both factors may be relieved by splenectomy although the ultimate prognosis is dependent on the primary disease present.