Causes: extension from adjacent inflammations, penetrating bodies,
contusions, lacerations, infections, over exertion, cold, damp, over
feeding. Symptoms: those of primary disease, visible traumas, chill,
fever, swelling, flatness of percussion sound, absence of crepitation,
anorexia, vomiting, constipation, diarrhœa. Prognosis usually good.
Treatment: castor oil, enemata, cold douche, electricity, phlebotomy,
in infective cases quinine, salol, salicylates, iodides.
No accurate border line can be drawn between splenic hyperæmia and
hypertrophy on the one hand and inflammation of the spleen on the other.
It is, however, not difficult to assign to inflammatory action all cases
that tend to suppuration and abscess. Also in perisplenitis with
adhesions to adjacent parts like the liver, stomach, intestine, kidney
or abdominal wall inflammation cannot be doubted.
_Causes._ Extension from the disease of adjacent parts—perihepatitis,
perinephritis, peritonitis, enteritis—is a distinctly appreciable cause,
as are also penetration of the spleen by foreign bodies, contusions,
lacerations and infections of the organ. Cruzel, who claims an extensive
acquaintance with the disease in working oxen, attributes many cases to
violent exertions, overdriving, cold and damp weather, and an
overstimulating alimentation. As inflammation may supervene on hyperæmia
and hypertrophy we must accept the various causes of these conditions as
factors in producing inflammation.
_Symptoms._ Most observations of inflammation of the spleen and its
results have been made only post mortem, so that we must allow that the
simple forms occur and undergo resolution without obvious symptoms. In
the perisplenitis supervening on another disease also in infective cases
there will be the antecedent symptoms of such primary diseases. In those
resulting from traumatic injury, bruises, swellings or wounds, cutaneous
or subcutaneous, there will often be suggestive features. In the more
purely idiopathic cases symptoms are only shown when the lesions are
extensive and acute. In oxen, Cruzel has noted the initial chill,
followed by disturbance of the respiration, more or less hyperthermia,
and a swelling of the left flank and hypochondrium in the absence of
tympany of the rumen. The nature of this swelling is the most
characteristic feature, as it gives a flat instead of a drumlike sound
on percussion, and does not bulge outward and downward over the whole
left side of the abdomen, pit on pressure, nor crepitate uniformly all
over from fermentation, as in overloading of the stomach.
If abscess should form, chills and high febrile reaction are marked
symptoms. In vomiting animals, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, constipation,
and even diarrhœa may appear.
_Prognosis._ Unless in extreme cases and those due to traumatism or
infection, the result of splenitis is usually favorable.
_Treatment_ would consist in depletion from the portal system and spleen
by rectal injections, and laxatives which like castor oil, will operate
without extensive absorption. Cold water or ice applied to the left
flank and induction currents of electricity may also be resorted to.
General blood-letting is strongly advised by Cruzel, and Friedberger and
Fröhner. In infective cases quinia, salicylates, salol, and the
sulphites, or iodides would be indicated.