NORMAL SPLENIC SIZE IN A CHINESE POPULATION

To establish the normal range for the length of the spleen in the Hong Kong Chinese population we used ultrasonography to examine 783 patien ts not known to have any condition likely to be associated with spleni c enlargement. The results show a rapid growth in splenic length up to age 20 years, followed by a mild decrease. A statistically significan t difference is seen between male and female subjects from about 15 to 40 years with spleens of men being about 0.5 cm longer. Using 2 stand ard deviations above the mean as a guide, we recommend 12 cm as the up per limit of normal in this population.