[Pathology of the spleen : Differential diagnosis of splenomegaly].

Abstract

After describing the anatomy of the spleen and the most important immunohistochemical stains for identifying cellular constituents of the normal splenic compartments, etiologies of splenomegaly and the diagnostic approach for spleen biopsies are discussed using the example of a North African patient with a recent migration background and sudden fever. The focus is on infectious diseases and the morphology and molecular features of hematolymphoid neoplasms, particularly the primary "splenic B‑cell lymphomas" according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification. The importance of clinicopathological correlations and interdisciplinary cooperation in splenic pathology is emphasized.