Background: To standardize expected splenic and renal length and to determine non-palpable splenomegaly.
Objective: To measure the normal values of normal kidney and splenic length; to determine constant ratio of the length of the spleen to the length of the left kidney related to anthropometric measurements; to determine a value to assess splenomegaly in children.
Methods: A cross sectional study was done on pediatric population of 5-15 years age groupat Raja Muthiah Medical College, Annamalai University for a period of one year. Ultrasonogram of abdomen was performed with high-resolution real time scanner-Siemens Acuson X 300 color Doppler Ultra sonogram machine. The splenic length was measured from the dome to the splenic tip through the splenic hilum. The longitudinal length of the left kidney was measured as a longest distance from upper to lower pole. These parameters were analyzed using somatometric parameters.
Results: The mean spleen length in the pediatric population studied was 81.8mm among the boys and 79.01mm among the girls. The mean value of left renal length was 85.5mm among the boys and 83.07mm among the girls. The mean ratio of spleen to left kidney ratio was constant around 1.05mm and using 2 standard deviation as a guide a ratio more than 1.2 was considered the upper limit of normal. Any measurement of spleen more than 1.2 times the adjacent kidney could be used as criteria for mild splenomegaly.
Conclusion: Splenic length and renal length increases with age and somatometric parameters like height, weight and body surface area without significant relationship with gender or body mass index. Mild splenomegaly may be considered if the spleen to left kidney ratio is more than 1.2 in the absence of the renal disease.
