Enlarged spleen : leukemia or infection ? Posted: 06-18-07 15:42pm
I am a 33 yo male who has been healthy up
until about a yr ago. For the past year I
have become very fatigued; just basically
no energy. I saw a dr for an unrelated
problem (sudden rapid heart rate) that was
diagnosed as benign. However, the
bloodwork showed that my white cell count
was high at 18. The Dr Didn't seem too
concerned and took no action. I later
developed a pain in my side under my ribs
where the spleen is located. It lasted for
about 2 months and went away. I had
started to be concerned but when it went
away I put it out of my mind. Another
episode of svt sent me to the Dr. Again.
Still it was determined to be no big deal
but the bloodwork showed I still had a
high white count at 15. I didn't tell him
about the pain as it was gone then. Then
pain has returned after 2 months of being
gone. I am still exhausted as usual with
the pain and headaches now and a general
achiness. My question is would an enlarged
spleen from leukemia or other cancer come
and go like that? Thanks.
|
DoctorAnswer
Doctor Answer
Joined: 19 Dec 2005 Posts: 16777211
Thanks: 11
Thanked:0
Leukemia Answer A2989 Posted: 06-26-07 08:22am
Pain under left ribcage doesn’t mean
that you are experiencing an enlarged
spleen. If the spleen was enlarged it
could be palpated. Normal spleens can’t
be registered on palpation. Enlarged
spleens can be due to many reasons
including leukemia.
A high white blood count is usually caused
by infection. Leukemia is also possible,
although it occurs much less frequently
than infection. During leukemia not only
is the white blood count increased, but
also there are pathologic forms of white
blood cells (WBC) present in the blood.
Increased granulocytes indicate a
bacterial infection while increased
lymphocytes indicate a viral infection.
Extremely increased WBC (above 50000/ml
which is not in your case) is a case that
is a suspect for leukemia, but as I said
previously, pathologic forms of WBC should
be detected in the blood to confirm
leukemia. It seems likely that in your
case, infection is a more probably
explanation than leukemia. You should
visit your GP and eventually an internist
for further diagnostic procedures
including a differential blood count.
DISCLAIMER: "Ask a Doctor" Questions are answered by Dr. Nikola Gjuzelov, General Practitioner. Dr. Gjuzelov practices medicine for the general public and is affiliated with the Republic of Macedonia Public Health Institution. For more information about Dr. Gjuzelov or other eHealthForum.com medical experts, please visit our About Us page. You may also visit our Leukemia Forum, for moderated patient to patient support and information.
The material presented in the eHealth Forum Discussion Forums and Ask A Doctor is in no way intended to replace professional medical care or attention by a qualified licensed medical professional. eHealth Forum and eHealth Forum's Ask A Doctor advises all users with health problems and concerns to consult their personal doctors. Furthermore, if you have any questions or concerns about your condition, you must consult your qualified licenseced medical professional before starting any treatment.
The materials in the eHealth Forum Discussion Forums and Ask A Doctor cannot and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or choice of treatment. To the fullest extent possible, eHealth Forum and eHealth Forum's Ask A Doctor expressly excludes all liability in respect of the information and opinions contained in the Discussion Forums and Ask A Doctor, this Web site, or any sites linked to this Web site.
The site is not a replacement for professional medical opinion, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical doctor or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to existing treatment. Do not delay seeking or disregard medical advice based on information written by any author on this site. No health questions and information on eHealth Forum is regulated or evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore the information should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a medical doctor. Posts made to these forums express the views and opinions of the author, and not the administrators, moderators, or editorial staff and hence eHealth Forum and its principals will accept no liabilities or responsibilities for the statements made.
Schizophreniahealth
This page was last updated on June 11, 2008
