Spleen of an Elderly White Man

Description

Semi-transparent rendering of an elderly male torso reveals the spleen in the left upper quadrant, lying deep to the left costal margin and posterolateral to the stomach along the greater curvature. Its convex diaphragmatic surface faces laterally and superiorly toward the ribs, while the visceral surface relates medially to the fundus of the stomach and superior pole of the left kidney, with the hilum positioned on the medial aspect. Inferior to the spleen, small bowel loops occupy much of the central and lower abdomen, and the stomach sits anterosuperiorly with its left-sided contour framing the splenic position. Splenic topography matters because physical examination, imaging interpretation, and operative planning all depend on understanding how far the organ normally extends beneath ribs 9 to 11 and how it displaces when enlarged. Splenomegaly from hematologic malignancy, portal hypertension, or systemic infection often presents as a mass that enlarges inferomedially, and this relationship helps distinguish it from left renal enlargement on palpation and cross-sectional imaging. Trauma is the other frequent clinical driver, since the spleen is the most commonly injured solid organ in blunt abdominal trauma and its capsular tears and parenchymal lacerations correlate with its rib-adjacent location. Use this artwork for anatomy and physiology teaching on lymphatic and reticuloendothelial filtration, pairing gross organ position with discussions of red pulp, white pulp, and hypersplenism in geriatric medicine. It also fits textbooks and patient education pieces explaining CT or ultrasound localization of LUQ pain, and surgical training materials that orient learners before splenectomy or embolization. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.