Introduction: Spleen is the largest lymphatic organ present in the upper part of the abdominal cavity. In fetal life it is a haemopoietic organ while it destroys blood in the postnatal life. It filters the blood from blood borne antigens and microorganisms. The present study was conducted to describe the detailed histological changes of human fetal spleen during its development.

Materials and Methods: The present study was a prospective, observational study conducted in the Department of Anatomy along with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecologyat a tertiary care teaching hospital situated in Uttarakhand state from March 2021 to July 2023. Human fetuses between 13 to 40 weeks of gestational age and without any congenital malformations were collected after routine medical termination of pregnancies, still birth or intra uterine death for study.

Results: The microscopic anatomy of the spleen was observed at different gestational ages. During first trimester of pregnancy primary vascular system was seen. Formation of red pulp and white pulp was seen clear during second trimester of pregnancy. At the beginning of the third trimester, white pulp shows lymphatic nodule with eccentrically placed arteriole.

Conclusions: The detailed study of development of fetal spleen suggest the functional aspect of spleen in fetal life.

Keywords: Microscopic anatomy, Spleen, Histogenesis, Fetal autopsy, Embryology