Former name: Tropical Splenomegaly Syndrome (TSS)
Features:
(1) living in a region with a frequent or constant exposure to mosquitoes infected with malaria (Africa, South Pacific, etc)
(2) chronic splenomegaly, which usually is massive with hypersplenism
(3) constitutional symptoms (fever, lassitude, weight loss)
(4) elevated serum IgM concentration, often with cryoglobulinemia and circulating immune complexes
(5) high titers of antibodies to malarial antigens
(6) lymphocytosis in hepatic sinusoids
(7) clinical improvement following prolonged antimalarial therapy
Complications:
(1) anemia
(2) neutropenia
(3) thrombocytopenia
(4) cryoglobulinemia
Differential diagnosis: other forms of massive splenomegaly in the tropics (visceral leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, thalassemia, etc)
