DETERMINATION OF NORMAL SPLENIC VOLUME ON COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY IN RELATION TO AGE, GENDER AND BODY HABITUS

The purpose of our study was to examine variations in normal splenic s ize in relation to age, gender and body habitus in vivo, and to determ ine normative data for splenic volume on CT. Tile width (W), length (L ). thickness (Th), cross-sectional areas and volume !Vol) of the splee n were obtained from abdominal CT examinations of 140 patients who und erwent CT for indications unrelated to splenic disease. Splenic volume did not vary significantly (-0.04 < r < 0.05, p > 0.10) with the pati ent's age, gender, height, weight, body mass index or the diameter of the first lumbar vertebra, the latter considered as representative of body habitus on CT. The mean value of the measured splenic volume (S V ol) was 214.6 cm(3) with a range from 107.2 to 314.5 cm(3). S Vol corr elated well with all the linear and the maximal cross-sectional area m easurements and could be calculated using the formula: S Vol = 30 + 0. 58 (W x L x Th.). Employing the same formula splenic volume was reliab ly assessed in 47 patients with clinically evident splenomegaly. Quant itative assessment of splenic volume might be of value in assessing mi ld variations in splenic size, because splenomegaly is the most common manifestation of splenic involvement in many disorders.