Sonographic measurement of splenic length: Correlation with measurement at autopsy

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the correlations between the sonographic measurement of splenic length and the actual splenic length, volume, and weight. METHODS: Before autopsy, sonographic measurements of splenic length were obtained in 30 cadavers, and these values were compared with the actual length, volume, and weight of the spleen at autopsy. RESULTS: There were clear linear correlations between maximum sonographic length and actual length (r = 0.831), volume (r = 0.817), and weight (r = 0.810). CONCLUSION: This study shows that a single, simple sonographic measurement gives a clinically useful indication of true splenic size.