Asplenia

Asplenia is the absence of normal spleen function and is associated with some serious infection risks. Hyposplenism is the condition of reduced ('hypo-'), but not absent, splenic functioning.

Functional asplenia occurs when splenic tissue is present but does not work well (e.g. sickle-cell disease, polysplenia) – such patients are managed as if asplenic – while in anatomic asplenia, the spleen itself is absent.