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The Spleen in Infection and Immunity

  • Chapter
Surgical Diseases of the Spleen

Abstract

The spleen is to the circulatory system what the lymph nodes are to the lymphatic system. The spleen filters infectious particles and unwanted cells from the bloodstream, is a storage site for blood elements, and initiates immune responses, including the production of immunoglobulin. This chapter will review the anatomy and function of the spleen and discuss the increased susceptibility to infection that occurs with conditions of splenic deficiency.

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© 1997 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Stiehm, E.R., Wakim, M. (1997). The Spleen in Infection and Immunity. In: Hiatt, J.R., Phillips, E.H., Morgenstern, L. (eds) Surgical Diseases of the Spleen. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60574-1_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60574-1_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-64461-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-60574-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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