Hepatolienal syndrome: symptoms, treatment

Health

"Syndrome" in Greek means"cluster" or "compound". In medicine, this characteristic is given to diseases that have a certain number of recognizable features that often appear together. Thus, the totality of symptoms before an accurate diagnosis can be safely called a syndrome. One of these conditions is hepatolienal syndrome.

Characteristic

Hepatic splenic syndrome is the secondthe name of this state. It is characterized by an increase in the liver and spleen, respectively, the work of these organs is disturbed. Hepatolienal syndrome occurs in chronic diseases of the hepatobiliary system and circulatory disorders in the portal vein-splenic vein system.

Venous circulation in the liver and spleen givesan explanation of how these organs are connected and how they influence each other in case of such a deviation as hepatolienal syndrome. You can trace the venous connection of these organs.

The main vein is the portal vein. It collects blood from the spleen and other abdominal organs. Then it enters the liver, where it is cleansed of harmful toxins and then carries nutrients through the body. Part of the portal vein is the splenic, so the spleen is in very close connection with the liver and the processes occurring in it. This explains why the liver and spleen are affected in hepatolienal syndrome.

Pathogenesis of hepatolienal syndrome

Impaired blood flow may occur due tonarrowing of the lumen of the portal vein. There is stagnation of blood and, as a result, an increase in blood pressure. Why is this happening? Here are some reasons:

External compression of the portal vein. This can occur both inside the liver and on the hepatoduodenal ligament at the entrance to the organ. In this case, it is possible to observe the symptoms of hepatolienal syndrome in such diseases:

Cirrhosis of the liver.
Severe hepatitis.
Thrombosis of the portal vein and adjacent large veins.
Primary liver tissue tumor.
Cardiac pathology of the right half of the heart.
Diseases of the bile ducts, tumors and cysts.
Hepatic vein thrombosis.

2. The narrowing of the lumen of the veins:

Thrombosis of the portal vein and its major branches.
Hepatic vein thrombosis, or Budd-Chiari syndrome.

In addition to the damaging factors that can cause an increase in the liver and spleen, this can also occur as a protective reaction of the body to the ingress of microbes.

Stages of

There are several stages of hepatolienal syndrome:

The first stage can take several years. The general condition is satisfactory, there is moderate anemia, leukopenia and neutropenia. The liver is not enlarged, but the spleen becomes significantly larger.
The second stage is characterized by a significant increase in the liver. There are signs of violation of its functionality. May last for several months.
Third stage. Its duration is about one year. A decrease and thickening of the liver is characteristic, anemia is increasing, there are signs of hypertension, ascites, gastrointestinal bleeding, esophageal varices.
Fourth stage. Common exhaustion, edema and bleeding symptoms are characteristic.

Causes

Most often, hepatolienal syndrome occurs in children.

The causes of occurrence in children and adults can be different:

Hereditary diseases.
Infectious diseases.
Congenital hemolytic anemia.
Congenital and acquired diseases of the portal vein, spleen.
Hemolytic disease in the newborn.
Chronic alcoholism.

Risk groups and their symptoms

All diseases that can provoke hepatolienal syndrome can be divided into groups:

Acute and chronic liver disease. This group is characterized by pain or a feeling of heaviness in the right hypochondrium, dyspeptic disorders, pruritus, jaundice. Causes may include viral hepatitis, contact with infectious patients, injury or surgery, chronic alcoholism, taking hepatoxic drugs, acute abdominal pain, and fever.
Disease accumulation. They are found among members of the same family or close relatives.
Infectious and parasitic diseases. Accompanied by well-marked intoxication, fever, arthralgia and myalgia.
Diseases of the cardiovascular system. They are accompanied by tachycardia, ischemic heart disease, fluid accumulation in the pericardial cavity, and an increase and change in the configuration of the heart.
Diseases of the blood and lymphoid tissue. This group is characterized by such signs as weakness, fever, and swollen lymph nodes.

Symptomatology

If the person has hepatolienal syndrome, the symptoms may be as follows:

Enlarged liver and spleen. Pain on palpation.
Weight loss.
Disrupted the work of the endocrine glands.
Problems in the digestive tract.
Anemia. Pallor and dryness of the skin.
Possible accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity.
Muscle and joint pain.
Yellowing of the albuminous membrane of the eyes.
Tachycardia, shortness of breath.
Fingerness of nails, hair loss.

For diagnosis, it is necessary to undergo an examination, and for a more detailed analysis of the organs - diagnosis.

Diagnostics

If the above symptoms occurdifferential diagnosis of hepatomegaly and hepatolienal syndrome is carried out. For this you need to apply a range of activities. One of the first points is a general blood test and its biochemical research. To establish the cause of hepatolienal syndrome, differential diagnosis is simply necessary. In its framework is carried out:

Echography of the liver and spleen, gallbladder, abdominal vessels.
CT scan.
Scanning the liver and spleen.
X-ray examination of the duodenum.
Laparoscopy.
Puncture biopsy of the liver and spleen.
The study of bone marrow and lymph nodes.

At present, science is not standing still and the analysis of organs is constantly expanding in the diagnosis of a condition such as hepatolienal syndrome. Differential diagnosis the underlying disease, taking into account the clinical picture and the state of the liver if present, is the primary concern.

Treatment and complications of the disease

As a rule, therapy of hepatolienal syndromeis to identify the main pathological process and its treatment. It is not an independent disease. If you have been diagnosed with hepatolienal syndrome, treatment should be carried out by a gastroenterologist. In this case, use of hepatoprotectors, antiviral drugs, hormones and vitamins. In each case, there should be an individual approach, taking into account the etiology of the disease.

If you miss the disease and do not treat, the prognosiscan be deplorable. Complications of this syndrome are cirrhosis of the liver, venous thrombosis of the liver, inflammation of the gallbladder, and blood diseases. In such cases, it is possible to remove segments of the liver and spleen or an organ transplant and blood transfusion.

In the first stage, patients are able-bodied and can withstand minor physical exertion. Further, when the situation worsens, the patient becomes disabled.

Prevention

In order not to miss the beginning of the development of pathology, it is necessary:

Take blood and urine tests regularly.
Get tested in a timely manner, especially if you are at risk.
Prevention of hepatolienal syndrome primarily involves combating the causes of diseases of the liver and spleen.
It is imperative that you follow the proper nutritional regimen so that food contains the required amount of fats, proteins and carbohydrates and, of course, vitamins.
Do not abuse alcohol, smoking and lead a healthy lifestyle.

There are no harmless diseases, especiallythey concern such vital organs as the liver and spleen. Timely detection of problems, and then adequate treatment can give effective results.