In order to diminish the adverse effects of total splenectomy, a conservative approach must be performed whenever possible. Subtotal splenectomy and splenic autotransplantation are good alternatives in such cases. The purpose of the present study was to compare the phagocytic function of the upper pole remnant of subtotal splenectomy and of autologous spleen tissue implanted into the greater omentum. This investigation was carried out on 35 adult Holtzman rats of both sexes. All animals were submitted to subtotal splenectomy, preserving the upper pole supplied by the splenogastric vessels and autotransplantation of the removed splenic segment on the greater omentum. The phagocytic function of the splenic remnants was verified by two different methods: scintigraphy with 99mTc sulfur colloid and microscopic counting of macrophages containing carbon colloid. During the first three months, the phagocytosis was higher in the remnant upper pole. After this time, there was no difference between the upper pole and the splenic autotransplant. In conclusion, the remnant of subtotal splenectomy and the splenic autotransplant maintain the filtering function of the spleen by removing colloid particles from the blood.
Spleen; Macrophage; Phagocytosis; Subtotal splenectomy; Autologous splenic transplantation
