Ultrasonographie examination of normal splenic size in infants and children

The aim of our study was to establish guidelines for normal splenic size of dillerent ages by using a simple and reproducible sonographic method. Two hundred fifty patients from 2 days to 20 year old, had sonography because of abdominal, pelvic and or cranial problems unrelared tv the spleen. Findings on sonograms of the liver and kidneys were normal in alI cases. The greatest longitudinal distance between the dome of the spleen and the tip was measured by obtaining a coronal wiew that included the hilum, while the patient was breathing guietly The longitudinal distance of spleen correlated with age, height and weight. Also, we determined the upper limit of normal splenic length in infants and children: splenic lenght no greater than 6 cm at 3 months, 6.5 cm at 6 rrıonths, 7 cm at 2 years, 8 cin at 4 years, 8.5 cm at 6 years, 9 cm at 8 years, 9.5 cm at 10 years, 10 cm at 12 years, 11 cin at 15 years, between 15-20 years for girls 18.5 cm and for boys 130 cm. Seventeen patients with known abnormalities of the spleen were randoinly sclected and the lenght of the spleen exceeded the upper limit of normal for that age.