Radioiron tracer technique for study of shortened red cell life span in bilharzial heptosplenomegaly and its restoration through splenectomy

ABSTRACT

In this work, the red cell life span is measured using radioiron Fe[59] in bilharzial hepatosplenomegalic cases before and 45 days after splenectomy as well as in normal controls. Red cell count and bone marrow examinations are also carried out in the bilharzial cases. The results reveal that bilharzial hepatosplenomegaly is associated with anaemia, shortened red cell life span and normal normoblastic series. 45 days after splenectomy, anaemia becomes corrected, and the red cell life span is lengthened and the normoblastic series of the bone marrow becomes more active. It has been thus concluded that splenectomy is of definite value in improving anaemia which accompanies bilharzial hepatosplenomegaly as it eliminates red cell overdestruction and releases the bone marrow from the humoral suppression of the enlarged spleen