Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kosin University College of Medicine
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE : To establish upper limit of normal splenic length of Korean adults on ultrasonography and todetermice the degree of interobserver and intraobserver variation. MATERIAL & METHODS : Ultrasonographic scanswere performed to measure the maximum length of spleen in 105 of 150 adults selected by convenience sampling.Remained 45 cases with any conditions that could alter splenic size were excluded from this study. The maximumlength of spleen was measured and correlated with body surface area, patient height, weight, age and sex. In 31 ofthe 105 adults we evaluated the interobserver and intraobserver variations in sonographic measurements of spleniclength obtained by three radiologists in blind fashion. RESULTS : The mean splenic length in 105 adults was 8.56cm (± 0.95). The splenic length positively correlated with body surface area, patient height and weight (P <0.001), and negatively correlated with patient age (P < 0.01). Male spleen (8.87 cm ± 1.07) was longer thanfemale spleen (8.35 cm ± 0.81) (P < 0.05). The following guidelines are proposed for the upper limit of normalsplenic length at different groups of body surface area: no longer than 10 cm at 1.20∼1.59 m², 11 cm at1.60∼1.79 m², and 12 cm at 1.80∼1.99 m². The mean interobserver variation between any two radiologists rangedfrom 0.32 cm (±0.29) to 0.39 cm (± 0.33) and interobserver variations were within 1 cm in 96%. The meanintraobserver variations were within 0.5 cm in 91%. CONCLUSION : The splenic length closely correlated with bodysurface area, patient height, weight and age. Particularly the upper limit of normal splenic length changedaccording to body surface area. Interobserver variation about 1 cm and intraobserver variation about 0.5 cm shouldbe considered in the measurement of the splenic length on ultrasonography.
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