title: [Postoperative long-term results in high-grade traumatic ruptures of the spleen in children].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Splenic rupture is the most common injury in blunt abdominal trauma at any age. The grade of rupture, haemodynamic stability and, in the case of operative treatment, the experience of the surgeon all play an important role in preserving the spleen. Due to its important immunological function preservation of the spleen should be the goal.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2000 to August 2009 five children (4 male/1 female) with isolated grade IV or V splenic rupture, according to the Organ Injury Score (OIS), were treated operatively. At the time of the trauma the patients were 8.8 ± 3.8 (mean ± standard deviation; range, 6–15) years old. Four patients with an OIS grade IV rupture were primarily treated with partially spleen-saving surgery: one resection of 2⁄3 of the spleen including the splenic vessels, one hemisplenectomy and two lower pole resections; in one patient with an OIS grade V rupture splenectomy was performed immediately.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In one patient treated with a spleen-preserving approach (hemisplenectomy) the remainder of the spleen had to be removed due to acute bleeding on the first postoperative day. This patient needed two units of blood transfused following the second operation. There were no other complications. The two patients with splenectomy and resection of ⅔ of the spleen developed a transient thrombocytosis indicating impaired clearance of the spleen. In a follow-up involving ultrasonography (median 13, range 1-101 months) all patients managed with partially spleen-saving surgery showed a large remnant spleen with arterial perfusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of primarily partially spleen-preserving operations result from OIS grade IV ruptures of the spleen. Use of a partially spleen-saving surgical approach was successful in ¾ of these patients. Low morbidity and documented perfusion of the remnant spleen at long-term follow-up indicate that a spleen-preserving technique is warranted if an operative approach is required.
authors.affiliation: Allgemeine, Thorax-, Gefäß- und Transplantationschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Rostock, Deutschland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weinrich
authors.affiliation: Allgemeine, Thorax-, Gefäß- und Transplantationschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Rostock, Deutschland.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Dahmen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University/IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Canada.
authors.forename: K J L
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Black
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik I, Kardiologie und Angiologie, Klinikum Worms, Deutschland.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.affiliation: Allgemein-, Viszeral- und Gefäßchirurgie, Klinikum Worms, Deutschland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bindewald
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000379:methods; D013161:Splenic Rupture / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*