causes of tender spleen
A tender spleen may be caused by a blood disorder called polycythemia vera. Polycythemia vera occurs when bone marrow cells rapidly increase causing an enlarged and tender spleen, according to the MayoClinic.com. This disorder is typically triggered by changes in the DNA of a single bone marrow cell.
Sickle-cell disease can cause a tender spleen as a result of splenic sequestration, a condition in which red blood cells get trapped within the spleen, preventing blood from circulating to the heart and brain.