Swelling of the liver and spleen (hepatosplenomegaly), what causes it?

In order to function properly, the body is assisted by a lot of work of the internal organs. Two internal organs that have an important task are the liver and spleen. The spleen plays a role in detecting disease-causing microorganisms and creating antibodies to fight them. Meanwhile, the liver works to flush toxins from the blood, process protein, and help the body's immune system fight infection. If these two organs are disturbed, the normal function of the body will be disturbed. One of the disorders that most often affects these two organs is hepatosplenomegaly, which is swelling of the liver and spleen at the same time.

What is hepatosplenomegaly?

Hepatosplenomegaly is a disorder that causes the liver (hepato) and spleen (spleno) swells beyond its normal size (multiply). When the liver and spleen become swollen, they cannot function normally.

Not all cases of hepatosplenomegaly are serious conditions. Most of the cases can be handled easily with simple treatments. However, that does not mean you can underestimate this disorder.

Swelling of the liver and spleen at the same time can be a symptom of serious health problems, such as impaired lysosome storage or even cancer.

Who is most at risk of developing hepatosplenomegaly?

A person will be more prone to spleen and liver swelling if they have:

Diabetes.
High cholesterol.
Obesity.

People who have shared needles with other people, for example when using drugs, are also at risk for this condition.

Symptoms of swelling of the liver and spleen

There are various symptoms that arise due to swelling of the liver and spleen, such as:

The stomach is swollen.
Nausea and vomiting.
Fever.
Abdominal pain in the upper right and painful to the touch.
Itchy skin.
Jaundice (jaundice), characterized by yellowing of the skin and eyes.
Brown urine.
Clay colored stools.
Fatigue without cause.

Causes swelling of the liver and spleen

These two internal organs are close together. When the liver is enlarged, the increase in liver size will put pressure on the spleen. This large pressure can block blood flow to the spleen which makes it swell and enlarge.

Various conditions that can cause swelling of the liver and spleen, including:

Infections, such as hepatitis C, HIV, syphilis, or sepsis.
Chronic liver disease, such as portal hypertension.
Leukemia (blood cancer).
Metabolic diseases, such as Hurler syndrome, Niemann-Pick disease, and Gaucher disease.
Osteopetrosis, a hereditary condition that makes bones harder and denser than normal.
Systemic lupus erythematosus, the most common type of lupus.
Amyloidosis, an abnormal and rare build-up of protein folding.
Multiple sulfatase deficiency, a rare enzyme deficiency.

Not only adults, children can also get this disease. Common causes of hepatosplenomegaly in children are sepsis (severe bacterial infection), malaria, thalassemia, and impaired lysosome storage (the body's inability to process glucocerebrosides).

Treatment for swelling of the liver and spleen

Treatment and treatment for hepatosplenomegaly depends on the cause. Medicines can be prescribed by a doctor specifically after seeing the cause of your hepatosplenomegaly, whether anemia, HIV, liver disease, or infection. If the cause of the swelling is cancer, the treatment options are chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical removal of the tumor.

In addition, your doctor will usually ask you to adopt a healthier lifestyle, such as quitting or reducing alcohol drinking, regular exercise, and eating healthy foods. The doctor will also ask you to get plenty of rest and stay hydrated.

However, if the condition is so severe that the liver has begun to damage, the doctor will advise you to do a liver transplant. The reason is, a person can still survive without a spleen but will not be able to live without a liver (liver).