2012 Volume 32 Issue 7 Pages 1163-1167
The treatment strategies for traumatic splenic injuries have shifted from surgical intervention to nonoperative management (NOM) including conservative medical treatment and transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). Recent advances in multi-detector CT allow rapid and accurate diagnosis of the injuries. In particular, arterial and equilibrium phase imaging enable the detection of the presence/absence of extravasation and pseudoaneurysms. Moreover, prompt and selective hemostasis can be achieved with the widespread use of TAE. Our success rate with NOM was 92.5%. However, surgical treatment was also performed in 22% of the total number of cases. TAE and surgical intervention were needed in 78% of gradeIIIb cases. Comprehensive evaluation of vital signs, contrast-enhanced CT images and associated injuries are important for diagnosis and treatment of traumatic splenic injuries.