IS SPLENIC SEQUESTRATION SERIOUS?
Any enlargement of the spleen must be monitored. Parents should be taught how to feel for their child’s spleen at their regular check-up visit. They need to know how their child’s spleen usually feels so that when he/she seems sick, they can feel the spleen to see if it is bigger. Acute splenic sequestration crisis can be serious and a potentially life-threatening problem if the spleen suddenly enlarges with a large drop in the blood count. The child needs to see a doctor immediately. When the spleen gradually gets bigger over several weeks, the blood count does not change much and therefore it may not be as serious.
