title: Doppler ultrasound for the assessment of conservatively treated blunt splenic injuries: a prospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The type and need for follow-up of non-operatively managed blunt splenic injuries remain controversial. The use of Doppler ultrasound to identify post-traumatic splenic pseudoaneurysms, considered to be the main cause of "delayed" splenic rupture, has not been well described.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 5-year prospective study was performed from 2004 to 2008. All patients with blunt splenic injury diagnosed with computerized tomography, who were treated non-operatively, were included in the study. Doppler ultrasound examination was performed 24-48 h post-injury. Consecutive Doppler ultrasound examinations were done on 7, 14 and 21 days post-injury for patients diagnosed with a splenic pseudoaneurysm. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Ambulatory follow-up continued for 4 weeks after hospital discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 38 patients were enrolled in the study. Grading of splenic injury demonstrated 19 (50%) patients with Grade I, 16 (42%) with Grade II and 3 (8%) with Grade III injuries. Two patients (5%) had pseudoaneurysms. All pseudoaneurysms underwent complete resolution within 2 weeks after diagnosis. No patients received blood products, or had angio-embolization or surgery during the study period. All patients were found to be asymptomatic and stable at the 4-week follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Doppler ultrasound can be an effective and a safe noninvasive modality for evaluation and follow-up of patients with blunt splenic injury. The utility and cost-effectiveness of routine surveillance requires further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery B, The Yitzhak Rabin Trauma Division, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Wiezmann St., Tel Aviv, 64239, Israel. sofferdror@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Soffer
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery B, The Yitzhak Rabin Trauma Division, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Wiezmann St., Tel Aviv, 64239, Israel.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wiesel
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Burns, Trauma and Critical Care, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Schulman
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery B, The Yitzhak Rabin Trauma Division, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Wiezmann St., Tel Aviv, 64239, Israel.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben Haim
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery B, The Yitzhak Rabin Trauma Division, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Wiezmann St., Tel Aviv, 64239, Israel.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Klausner
authors.affiliation: Ultrasound Division, Department of Radiology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, University of Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kessler
keywords: Abdominal trauma; Spleen pseudoaneurysm; Splenic trauma; Vascular trauma
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