The spleen is an important member of the body's immune and lymphatic system. It is located in the upper left abdominal quadrant and weighs approximately 150 grams varying for sex and age, with a gradual decrease in overall weight and size after the seventh decade. There is a thin capsule. Cross sections of the spleen reveal a red soft surface which is divided into red and white pulp.
Red pulp corresponds to the sinuses which are usually filled with red blood cells.
The white pulp shows white nodules, called Malpighian corpuscles . The spleen is involved in most diseases that affect the other hematologic and lymphatic organs such as the bone marrow and lymph nodes. Pathologists are often called upon to evaluate a spleen for evidence of lymphoma, an important staging technique in the evaluation of lymphomas. In addition, a spleen may be removed for trauma. Rarely, there may be a solitary metastases to the organ and splenectomy may be curative.