Pathology
Macroscopically, splenosis manifests as individual pieces of reddish-blue tissue with variable shape, which can be as few as one and as many as 300, mostly in the abdominal cavity, and varying in size from a few millimeters to as large as 12 cm. Due to the limited blood supply to these nodules, the typical size of splenic implants is usually less than 3 cm. The implants can be separate pieces or connect to other pieces of splenic tissue by a thin stem. Histologically, the regular spleen tissue is made up of red and white pulp, similar to the structure of an accessory spleen. Clinical presentation
About a decade commonly passes between the injury and the discovery of splenosis. As little as five months and as much as 32 years have been reported. Most people with splenosis have no symptoms, so the splenosis is discovered by chance through screening or in the process of diagnosing another disease. Some people experience symptoms, such as abdominal pain, intestinal obstruction, hemorrhage, or hydronephrosis. Tissue infarction due to limited blood supply can be a cause of symptomatic splenosis. Symptoms of splenosis affecting the thoracic cavity sometimes include hemoptysis or pleurisy. Diagnosis
A definitive diagnosis is often made through biopsy and histological examination of the tissue by a pathologist. Multiple implants of splenic tissue can mimic the appearance of some cancerous conditions. This can be clarified through diagnostic imaging (for example, ultrasound, CT scan, and MRI).
Treatment
Treatment recommendations have been based on four risk levels for heart disease. For each risk level, LDL cholesterol levels representing goals and thresholds for treatment and other action are made. The higher the risk category, the lower the cholesterol thresholds. For those at high risk, a combination of lifestyle modification and statins has been shown to decrease mortality. Lifestyle
Lifestyle changes recommended for those with high cholesterol include: smoking cessation, limiting alcohol consumption, increasing physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight.Overweight or obese individuals can lower blood cholesterol by losing weight – on average a kilogram of weight loss can reduce LDL cholesterol by 0.8 mg/dl. Diet
Eating a diet with a high proportion of vegetables, fruit, dietary fibre, and low in fats results in a modest decrease in total cholesterol.Eating dietary cholesterol causes a small rise in serum cholesterol, the magnitude of which can be predicted using the Keys and Hegsted equations. Dietary limits for cholesterol were proposed in United States, but not in Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. However, in 2015 the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee in the United States removed its recommendation of limiting cholesterol intake.A 2020 Cochrane review found replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat resulted in a small decrease in cardiovascular disease by decreasing blood cholesterol. Other reviews have not found an effect from saturated fats on cardiovascular disease.