Surgery of the spleen.

Introduction The spleen was a source of intrigue to ancient physicians and philosophers alike. Galen described the spleen as an organ of mystery, and believed that i t extracted ‘melancholy’ from the circulating blood and from the l iver, and returned it to the stomach after a process of purif ication. Although it was noted by Aristotle that the asplenic state is compatible with l i fe, the complexity of i ts function and anatomy are sti l l a major topic of medical and scientif ic study. Thus the care of patients with splenic disorders often requires a multidiscipl inary team of haematologists, pathologists, and surgeons.