虽然在儿童早期镰状细胞贫血可导致脾增大，但在青春期由于异常的RBC持续的郁积和阻塞，引起脾梗死，脾体积明显缩小。有时称为做“自体脾切除”。如图可见镰状细胞贫血患者残存的小脾脏。
Though in early childhood the spleen may be enlarged with sickle cell anemia, continual stasis and trapping of abnormal RBC's leads to infarctions that eventually reduce the size of the spleen tremendously by adolescence. This is sometimes called "autosplenectomy". Seen here is the small remnant of spleen in a patient with sickle cell anemia.
