Because of its wide variety of functions, the spleen may be affected by many conditions involving the blood or lymph system, such as liver disease, malignancies, parasites, and infections.
Reviewed last on: 2/23/2009
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.