title: Blunt splenic injuries: nonsurgical treatment with CT, arteriography, and transcatheter arterial embolization of the splenic artery.
abstract: The management and outcome of blunt splenic injury diagnosed with computed tomography (CT) were studied in 44 consecutive patients who were hemodynamically stable or whose condition stabilized rapidly with resuscitation. Celiac and splenic arteriography was used in the triage of patients for nonsurgical treatment or for hemostasis. Patients without arterial extravasation of contrast material at arteriography were treated with bed rest only (group 1, n = 19); patients who had such extravasation were treated with bed rest after percutaneous transcatheter coil occlusion of the proximal splenic artery (group 2, n = 17). Abdominal exploration without angiography or embolotherapy was begun if the patient or attending surgeon did not agree with the treatment protocol (group 3, n = 8). Treatment with bed rest alone was successful in 18 patients. Clinical control of hemorrhage was accomplished in all patients in group 2 and one patient in group 1. Thus, exploratory laparotomy was avoided in 34 of 36 patients (94%) in whom nonoperative management was attempted; splenic salvage was achieved in 35 of 36 patients (97%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, State University of New York Health Science Center, Brooklyn.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sclafani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weisberg
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Scalea
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Duncan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D000792:Angiography; D001510:Bed Rest; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005119:Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013154:Spleen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D013157:Splenic Artery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy