SPLENIC ANEMIA

Abstract

This study was made primarily to investigate the end-results following splenectomy in a group of cases which were thought to show clinically the typical features of that form of secondary anemia with splenomegaly known as splenic anemia, or Banti's disease. Splenectomy has been performed in the Johns Hopkins Hospital for many different conditions. These conditions include rupture of normal and acutely swollen spleens, neoplasms, both primary and secondary, Gaucher's disease, leukemia, infectious splenomegaly of malarial, tuberculous or syphilitic origin, pernicious anemia, hemolytic jaundice and splenic anemia or Banti's disease. Of these conditions, it was found that the last three mentioned offered difficulty in accurate classification. It is not desired at this time to investigate the end-results following splenectomy in pernicious anemia or in hemolytic jaundice, since this has been shown by many authors, including Krumbhaar,¹Mayo,²Moynihan,³Elliott and Kanavel,⁴but rather to investigate the end-results