Enlarged spleen - what could it be?

[LilyMayPlumpington]

Dh has been back and forwards to GPs on multiple occasions over last few months. Finally had ultrasound on Friday and has signficantly enlarged spleen. Bit of googling suggests this normally has underlying cause like an infection or leukaemia. But he has had no signs of infection...and he has had blood tests recently which do not indicate cancer... Any thoughts?

Has he had Glandular Fever?

I don't think so - we would know if he had wouldn't we? His energy levels seem fairly normal, however he is impressively stoical

Hmm. Any foreign travel?

Only the USA, France and Greece this year

Can't think of anything more exotic in last couple of years....

It can just happen. I had an enlarged spleen about 2 years back and they gave me these tables and it sorted itself out.

What are you DHs symptoms?

spherocytosis ? it's something I have -can cause enlarged spleen

His symptoms - a great deal of discomfort and pain in part of his abdomen / chest area which has caused him to worry and stress about his health, and see the GP several times over the past few months (hitting a bit of a brick wall until at least he had this ultrasound examination last Friday and the finding re enlarged spleen)...that's about it for symptoms.

He has been very worried about it and sensed that 'something is not quite right' for a few months now - and yet usually he is a man who does not visit the doctors for years, and he even soldiered on with undiagnosed pneumonia a couple of years back until I frogmarched him to GP who diagnosed pneumonia

What are the symptoms of spherocytosis christMAScomes?

Incidentally his mum died recently from a heart condition but the post mortem revealed an enlarged spleen (I think - must check that) as an incidental finding (not cause of death).....wondering if hereditary angle?

Co-morbidity - he suffers from gout and is on preventative medication for that...don't know if that has any bearing.

Poor bloke is falling to bits!

(Incidentally thanks scrooged, navy and christMAScomes for taking an interest and trying to help)

poor dh - spherocytosis is a hereditary condition - I have it from my mother,as does my brother and my son but it can just appear in people with no family history (I forget the correct terminology) Anyway, it is where the red blood cells are spherical (not all but a proportion) and usually if there is trouble the patient will feel very tired,pale and anaemic and also possibly yellowy and jaundiced. The spleen enlarges and in some cases has to be removed (my brother,mum and I are spleenless but ds is perfectly well and rretains his). Will try to link to a proper description for you.
Sympathise too with the gout - my dad has this as did my grandpa and it is excruciating.

here

Where is the pain in his abdomen and chest? Is is in the left side of his tummy, sort of where the ribs meet the stomach?

Could it be a side effect of his gout medicine?

ChristMAS - it sounds like an not altogether pleasant condition, I'm sorry that you have it in your family.....however dh doesn't appear anaemic or jaundiced so suspect it is unlikely

The pain in on the left hand side below the heart (heart is functioning well and is in the clear). I believe it is because the size of the spleen is putting pressure on other organs

oh we're fine really - ds is as fit as anything and I don't seem to suffer any ill health as a result,thank goodness. Hope you can find out what's wrong with dh...am thinking too about the gout medication (allopurinol ?) - the spleen filters old blood cells,in a similar-ish way to liver and perhaps can get enlarged when trying to clean everything out ? am probably talking rubbish as I have no medical expertise..let us know how he is getting on