INTRODUCTION

Development: Spleen is associated with development of mesogastrium. It develops from the mesoderm during sixth week of intrauterine life

Mesenchymal Mass: spleen develops from the mesenchymal cells which proliferate to form the mesenchymal mass in the dorsal mesogastrium

Formation of lobules and single mass of splenic tissue: initially the splenic tissue is arranged as number of lobules which later join together to form a single splenic mass. The notches in the superior border of the adult spleen are representatives of the growth that separated the lobules during fetal period

Accessory spleen: Is formed in 10% of individuals which may be located in one of the peritoneal folds commonly near the hilum of the spleen or embedded partly or wholly in the tail of pancreas or within the gastrosplenic ligament or along the splenic artery or in the lenorenal ligament

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A study was done on twenty cadavers used in routine dissection for the undergraduate student from Kanyakumari Government Medical College, Asaripallam, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari District. The cadavers were fixed in 10% of formalin, glycerin, isopropylol and sodium chloride solution. Variations from the normal spleen were found as lobules.