Tropical Splenomegaly Syndrome in a Caucasian in Africa

ABSTRACT

"In recent years there has been increased interest in the tropical splenomegaly syndrome and the subject has recently been reviewed (Pitney; 1968; Marsden and Hamilton; 1969; British medical Journal; 1969). Outside Africa tropical splenomegaly syndrome has been described in the inhabitants of sout Arabia (Fawdry; 1965); who anthropologically are caucasoid; in the Melanesians of New Guinea (Marsden et al.; 1967; Pryor; 1967); who are negroid; and in Bengalis (Chaudhuri et al.; 1956); who are caucasoid. No caucasian (or ""Europian"") cases of tropical splenomegaly syndrome appear to have been reported from the African continent; and at least one observer with long experience in Africa states that he has yet to have been in negroes (Marsden et al.;; 1965; Lowenthal et al.; 1966; Ratnesar et al.; 1966; Watson-Williams and Allan; 1968). In a series from the sudan specific mention is not made whether the patients were African or Arab (Mustafa; 1965). We report here a case of topical splenomegaly syndrome in a Caucasian resident in Africa."