Objective: To observe the clinical value of splenectomy for pathologic diagnosis in fever of unknown origin with splenomegaly only.
Methods: The pathologic findings of 35 patients with fever of unknown origin and splenomegaly treated by splenectomy, admitted in to the department of hematology in our hospital since 1996 were studied retrospectively. For these patients, there were no other positive signs except splenomegaly and the routine tests could not help us make the etiological diagnoses.
Results: In these 35 patients, there were 17 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (48.6%), 5 cases of Hodgkin's disease (14.2%), 2 cases of malignant histiocytosis (5.7%), 5 cases of connective tissue disease (14.2%), 2 cases of chronic congestive splenomegaly (5.7%), 1 case of hemophagocytic syndrome (2.9%), 1 case of remote spleen infarction (2.9%), 1 case of tuberculosis of spleen (2.9%) and 1 case of spleen angiosarcoma (2.9%).
Conclusion: When only splenomegaly is found in patients with fever of unknown origin, it is necessary to persuade the patients to accept diagnostic splenectomy for pathological as soon as possible, otherwise, the diagnosis and treatment may be delayed.