title: [Closed trauma of the pancreas--diagnostic approach].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review patients who presented lesions of the pancreas following blunt abdominal trauma, in order to determine which elements contributed to or on the contrary delayed the diagnosis. Construction of a diagnostic procedure which could be followed in order to maximize the rapidity and efficency of treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients from 1985 to 1997 having suffered blunt trauma were studied. The lesions of the pancreas were classified according to Lucas. The grounds for indication and the information that the echography, the CT-Scan and the wirsungographie brought to the diagnosis was determined for each patient. Elements which delayed diagnosis were retrospectively evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We treated 11 patients having suffered blunt abdominal trauma resulting in pancreatic damage. 7 patients were operated. Five had emergency laparotomies. Three of these were unable to reveal an existing rupture of the pancreatic duct.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical exploration is difficult and pancreatic lesions are frequently missed. The wirsungography done before or during the operation should, therefore, be more often used as a diagnostic tool.
authors.affiliation: Département de Chirurgie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dumps
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Savioz
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bühler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morel
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D010179:Pancreas / Q000293:injuries*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery
vernacular_title: Traumatismes fermés du pancréas--démarche diagnostique.