drugs

Drugs to cure Splenomegaly

Definition

Among the disorders affecting the spleen, splenomegaly describes an exaggerated increase in its volume, the result of various pathologies; the size of the spleen increases to the point of perceiving the presence of the organ through the simple medical palpation.

To understand ... the spleen is an organ located in the left abdominal part, under the diaphragm; its most important function is essentially to synthesize white blood cells, IgM and IgG2 antibodies and to control bacterial infections.

Causes

Splenomegaly can be favored by multiple pathologies; Among the most common, we mention: anemia, cirrhosis, favism, cystic fibrosis, leukemia, Hogdkin lymphomas and sarcoidosis. Even viral infections can predispose the subject to splenomegaly (eg mononucleosis); similar speech for bacterial insults, such as syphilis, tuberculosis and endocarditis, and parasites (malaria and leishmaniasis).

Symptoms

The abnormal enlargement of the spleen causes all the functions regulated by this organ to go haywire; the symptomatology of splenomegaly is characterized by: fatigue, anemia, pain in the left abdominal side, difficulty in ending a rich meal, sudden bleeding, risk of infections, hiccups. It should be emphasized, however, that splenomegaly, as well as hepatomegaly, is often asymptomatic and is diagnosed randomly through a routine check.

  • Complications: increased risk of spleen rupture, internal abdominal bleeding

Information on Splenomegaly - Drugs for the Treatment of Splenomegaly is not intended to replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Splenomegalia - Drugs for the treatment of Splenomegaly.

drugs

The treatment for splenomegaly is concentrated in the treatment of symptoms: the drugs and treatments available in fact aim to mitigate all the characteristic signs. Although there are some drugs able to contain the enlargement of the spleen - such as hydroxyurea, busulfan (eg. Busilvex) and pipobromane - to resolve splenomegaly definitively it is necessary to treat the pathology that arises there. To give an example, in the case of bacterial, suspected or ascertained superinfections, the administration of antibiotics (such as penicillins) constitutes the preferred therapy: the pathogen's removal produces, as a consequence, also the restoration of the splenic dimensions.

In cases of extreme severity, surgical removal of the spleen may be necessary: ​​however, consider that an individual can also live without the spleen, although the probability of contracting infections is very high. To avoid total organ excision, it is sometimes possible to use radiotherapy to reduce the size of the spleen.

In case of removal of the spleen due to pathologies responsible for splenomegaly, it is recommended to subject the patient to a series of vaccinations, which act as a shield for any infections. Generally, the patient is exposed to vaccination both before and after surgery to increase the chances of success. The following are the most indicated vaccines to reduce the risk of infections following a removal of the spleen:

  1. Pneumococcal vaccine (eg Prevenar): for patients over 10 years of age suffering from splenomegaly requiring removal of the spleen, it is recommended to take a first dose of the drug (in the period in which the spleen was removed), and to repeat administration after 6 years from the first dose. For children under the age of 10, subjected to the above procedure, it is recommended to repeat the dose after 3-5 years from the first.
  2. Anti-Haemophilus influenzae vaccine (eg Hexavac, Infanrix Hexa): this vaccination can be avoided in patients who have been vaccinated before undergoing splenectomy. In other cases, however, it is recommended to administer two doses of drug at 2-month intervals for children under the age of 5, subjected to removal of the spleen (also and not only due to an abnormal splenomegaly). Patients who are at least five years old can only be vaccinated once.
  3. Anti-influenza vaccine (eg Intanza, Celvapan, Optaflu, Focetria): patients who have had their spleen removed following splenomegaly are advised to undergo an annual influenza vaccine.
  4. Antimeningococcal vaccine (eg. Menveo): patients under the age of 4 years, subjected to splenectomy, should be vaccinated before surgery and 2-3 years after the first dose. For older patients, only one dose of the drug is required before surgery.

As we have seen, surgical removal of the spleen is carried out in the event of severe splenomegaly: the vaccines just listed are indicated to reduce the risk of pneumonia, meningitis, blood and bone infections following splenectomy.