ABSTRACT
The normal adult spleen is a bean-shaped organ with an anterior notch that is located in the left upper quadrant of the abdominal cavity. Bounded by a thin fibrous capsule, it has a smooth reddish blue-gray appearance. The normal anatomy of the spleen can be remembered by using the 1×3×5×7×9×11 rule: it is 1×3×5 inches across, weighs approximately 7 oz (150 to 200 g), and lies between the ninth and eleventh ribs adjacent to the greater curvature of the stomach. Slicing reveals that the spleen is largely composed of a red pulp, within which the malpighian corpuscles of the white pulp are interspersed.
