What Are The Complications Of Thalassemia?

Splenomegaly

Splenomegaly, an enlarged spleen, is a complication often seen in thalassemia patients. The spleen is responsible for performing numerous functions for the body like producing lymphocytes or white blood cells, filtering and dismantling old or damaged blood cells, and storing platelets and red blood cells. Thalassemia is often accompanied by the demolition of high numbers of red blood cells. The spleen filters these cells from the blood and then removes the iron and globulin from them for reuse. When parts of red blood cells accumulate in the spleen from increased cell destruction, the organ enlarges. Iron also abnormally accumulates in the spleen because the organ is so overwhelmed that it does not carry out the rest of the iron recycling process. At that point, the spleen continues to work hard to filter the large quantities of dying or dead red blood cells, taking in some healthy red blood cells and platelets during the process. This mechanism causes further enlargement of the spleen. This spleen malfunction can even adversely affect the lifespan of healthy red blood cells a patient has received through a transfusion.

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