Assessment of splenic function in dogs following arterial ligation and autotransplantation.

Two methods for the preservation of splenic function following trauma to the spleen were studied and compared in dogs and puppies. One method was splenectomy and autotransplantation of small pieces of splenic tissue, and the other--ligation of the main branches of the splenic artery after partial splenectomy. Dogs subjected to splenectomy alone or laparotomy alone served as controls. Splenic function was assessed on the basis of resistance to sepsis by virulent pneumococci. Cultures were obtained from the blood, peritoneal fluid and intraabdominal organs 3 days after i.v. injection of the pneumococci; none of the adult dogs in any of the groups had positive cultures. Among splenectomized puppies, 55.5% had positive cultures for pneumococci, whereas those which underwent ligation of the splenic artery and partial splenectomy had negative cultures. Microscopic examination of the autotransplants revealed loss of the characteristic structure of splenic tissue, whereas in the dogs in which the splenic artery had been ligated, the spleen showed numerous islands of tissue with well-preserved follicular structure. We suggest that in children with severe splenic trauma, ligation of the splenic artery may provide a promising alternative to splenectomy.