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Has anyone had an enlarged spleen?
Blood Cancers & Disorders | Last Active: 3 days ago | Replies (14)Comment receiving replies
Hi @b52770 I’m sure this is a time of anxiety for you and your husband with his recent discovery of his enlarged spleen. It looks like he’s also waiting for a biopsy from an area discovered on his PET scan?
As @kjoed53 mentioned in their reply to you, people with PV can develop an enlarged spleen. That’s not uncommon with any blood condition. The spleen filters your blood, so when you have polycythemia vera, the excess cells tend to collect in that organ.
With his spleen measuring 28 cm (11+ inches) your husband must feel pretty uncomfortable from pressure and pain with bending over, eating or breathing because it’s taking up space in the abdominal area. Medications such as Jakafi, which is also used to treat the symptoms of PV, can help reduce spleen size. So your husband’s doctor may suggest a medication change. Or, sometimes removal of the spleen is also recommended to help ease the discomfort.
Is the lesion that was discovered on his PET scan on his spleen or other organ? Is there a biopsy on the schedule soon?
Replies to "Hi @b52770 I’m sure this is a time of anxiety for you and your husband with..."
@loribmt there is a lesion on his right hip bone and one on his L2 . We are waiting for the hospital to schedule the biopsy. This will be done at the hip lesion.
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@loribmt
I don't have PV but I know how uncomfortable I was when my spleen was enlarged. It felt like it was touching my ribs. PV also causes thickening of blood from what I read. That's why I asked if he was on a blood thinner. My amateur and untrained medical curiosity went there because it seems logical to me due to the clotting factor, but it was nothing more than a curiosity and far from being a suggestion. It seems nothing is that simple.