Asplenia physical examination
Asplenia Microchapters |
Diagnosis |
---|
Treatment |
Case Studies |
Asplenia physical examination On the Web |
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Asplenia physical examination |
Risk calculators and risk factors for Asplenia physical examination |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Anum Dilip, M.B.B.S[2]
Overview
Physical Examination
Physical examination of patients with asplenia is:
- During the physical examination, the spleen is usually not palpable except in individuals with thin abdominal musculature, hence lack of a palpable spleen does not confirm asplenia.[1]
- Patients with sickle cell disease, especially children in their earlier years, may have enlarged nonfunctional spleen.[2]
- In the case of visceral heterotaxy, a right-sided liver may be mistaken for splenic enlargement.
- Other physical findings depend on the associated anomalies.
- In isolated congenital asplenia, for diagnosis, there are no other physical clues and overwhelming infection may be the first sign of the disease.[3]
Appearance of the Patient
- Patients with asplenia usually appear normal until they are infected by encapsulated organism.The following variations can be seen in Asplenia. The following signs can be noticed in patients with asplenia infected by invasive bacterial infection.
Vital Signs
- High-grade / low-grade fever
- Hypothermia / hyperthermia may be present
- Tachycardia with regular pulse or (ir)regularly irregular pulse
- Bradycardia with regular pulse or (ir)regularly irregular pulse
- Tachypnea / bradypnea
- Kussmal respirations may be present in _____ (advanced disease state)
- Weak/bounding pulse / pulsus alternans / paradoxical pulse / asymmetric pulse
- High/low blood pressure with normal pulse pressure / wide pulse pressure / narrow pulse pressure
Skin
- Cyanosis may be present in congenital asplenia with visceral heterotaxy with bilateral right-sidedness.[2]
HEENT
- HEENT examination of patients with [disease name] is usually normal.
OR
- Abnormalities of the head/hair may include ___
- Evidence of trauma
- Icteric sclera
- Nystagmus
- Extra-ocular movements may be abnormal
- Pupils non-reactive to light / non-reactive to accommodation / non-reactive to neither light nor accommodation
- Ophthalmoscopic exam may be abnormal with findings of ___
- Hearing acuity may be reduced
- Weber test may be abnormal (Note: A positive Weber test is considered a normal finding / A negative Weber test is considered an abnormal finding. To avoid confusion, you may write "abnormal Weber test".)
- Rinne test may be positive (Note: A positive Rinne test is considered a normal finding / A negative Rinne test is considered an abnormal finding. To avoid confusion, you may write "abnormal Rinne test".)
- Exudate from the ear canal
- Tenderness upon palpation of the ear pinnae/tragus (anterior to ear canal)
- Inflamed nares / congested nares
- Purulent exudate from the nares
- Facial tenderness
- Erythematous throat with/without tonsillar swelling, exudates, and/or petechiae
Neck
- Neck examination of patients with asplenia is usually normal.
Lungs
- Respiratory distress may be present in congenital asplenia with visceral heterotaxy with bilateral right-sidedness. [2]
Heart
- Cardiovascular examination of patients with [disease name] is usually normal.
OR
- Chest tenderness upon palpation
- PMI within 2 cm of the sternum (PMI) / Displaced point of maximal impulse (PMI) suggestive of ____
- Heave / thrill
- Friction rub
- S1
- S2
- S3
- S4
- Gallops
- A high/low grade early/late systolic murmur / diastolic murmur best heard at the base/apex/(specific valve region) may be heard using the bell/diaphgram of the stethoscope
Abdomen
- Abdominal examination of patients with [disease name] is usually normal.
OR
- Abdominal distension
- Abdominal tenderness in the right/left upper/lower abdominal quadrant
- Rebound tenderness (positive Blumberg sign)
- A palpable abdominal mass in the right/left upper/lower abdominal quadrant
- Guarding may be present
- Hepatomegaly / splenomegaly / hepatosplenomegaly
- Additional findings, such as obturator test, psoas test, McBurney point test, Murphy test
Back
- Back examination of patients with [disease name] is usually normal.
OR
- Point tenderness over __ vertebrae (e.g. L3-L4)
- Sacral edema
- Costovertebral angle tenderness bilaterally/unilaterally
- Buffalo hump
Genitourinary
- Genitourinary examination of patients with [disease name] is usually normal.
OR
- A pelvic/adnexal mass may be palpated
- Inflamed mucosa
- Clear/(color), foul-smelling/odorless penile/vaginal discharge
Neuromuscular
- Neuromuscular examination of patients with [disease name] is usually normal.
OR
- Patient is usually oriented to persons, place, and time
- Altered mental status
- Glasgow coma scale is ___ / 15
- Clonus may be present
- Hyperreflexia / hyporeflexia / areflexia
- Positive (abnormal) Babinski / plantar reflex unilaterally/bilaterally
- Muscle rigidity
- Proximal/distal muscle weakness unilaterally/bilaterally
- ____ (finding) suggestive of cranial nerve ___ (roman numerical) deficit (e.g. Dilated pupils suggestive of CN III deficit)
- Unilateral/bilateral upper/lower extremity weakness
- Unilateral/bilateral sensory loss in the upper/lower extremity
- Positive straight leg raise test
- Abnormal gait (describe gait: e.g. ataxic (cerebellar) gait / steppage gait / waddling gait / choeiform gait / Parkinsonian gait / sensory gait)
- Positive/negative Trendelenburg sign
- Unilateral/bilateral tremor (describe tremor, e.g. at rest, pill-rolling)
- Normal finger-to-nose test / Dysmetria
- Absent/present dysdiadochokinesia (palm tapping test)
Extremities
- Extremities examination of patients with [disease name] is usually normal.
OR
- Clubbing
- Cyanosis
- Pitting/non-pitting edema of the upper/lower extremities
- Muscle atrophy
- Fasciculations in the upper/lower extremity
References
- ↑ Erdem SB, Genel F, Erdur B, Ozbek E, Gulez N, Mese T (2015). "Asplenia in children with congenital heart disease as a cause of poor outcome". Cent Eur J Immunol. 40 (2): 266–9. doi:10.5114/ceji.2015.52841. PMC 4637402. PMID 26557043.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Thiruppathy K, Privitera A, Jain K, Gupta S (2008). "Congenital asplenia and group B streptococcus sepsis in the adult: case report and review of the literature". FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 53 (3): 437–9. doi:10.1111/j.1574-695X.2008.00422.x. PMID 18564289.
- ↑ Iijima S (2017). "Sporadic isolated congenital asplenia with fulminant pneumococcal meningitis: a case report and updated literature review". BMC Infect Dis. 17 (1): 777. doi:10.1186/s12879-017-2896-5. PMC 5735542. PMID 29254492.