A co-worker who has had severe abdominal problems learned today that he may have a 2nd spleen somewhat attached to his left kidney. This was discovered in a 2nd ultrasound after the first ultrasound lead to an MRI. He has had both a lower & lower GI (?). My co-worker is in his mid 30’s and aside from his current predicament he is very healthy.
The Doctors cannot find anything wrong with him aside from this spot on his kidney which they are speculating is a 2nd spleen.
Questions: How does one get a 2nd spleen? Is it from a twin that never developed? Are spleens transplantable? Can you sell a spleen on EBAY?
An opinion from a non-expert, covering only parts of the OP: Since a damaged spleen can be removed without endangering the patient, you don’t really need it. I suppose they’ve never tried transplanting one, since the operation would be more risky than living without a spleen. For this same reason, they are probably not worth much at auction.
removing the spleen is not an entirely benign procedure – recent evidence shows that the spleen does play a large roll in the immune system of the body. Removal of it seems to make the body more susceptible to infection
The second spleen is called “an accidental finding”. It’s usually found accidetally at the surgery or at the autopsy. Nowadays it can be SUSPECTED if a suggestive outline is seen at a MRI or ultrasound. It has no value or significance, a few percent of people have it. Some have a few. Your friend may well forget about it. Discovering a new mole on the skin has more significance.
The important part is to make sure what the discovered “extra” actually is.
kinoons is correct that the spleen is an important immune system organ that shouldn’t be removed with impunity. However, given that your friend has two spleens, I’d say removing one shouldn’t cause any problems - he’d still have one functioning one.
And no, it wouldn’t come from a nondeveloped twin. I’m not real up on my developmental biology at the moment, but the spleen is hardly the first part of the body to develop.