Abstract
[Background] The incidence and course of splenic pseudoaneurysm (SPA) following non-operative management of blunt splenic injury have not been thoroughly examined. The purpose of this study was to clarify the factors associated with the formation and disappearance of SPA. [Method] Between January 2012 and December 2015, 62 patients were diagnosed with splenic injuries, and 52 received non-operative management. Patients were classified based on the presence of SPA formation, (SPA+group) or (SPA-group). Eleven patients in the SPA+group were further classified into two groups, embolization or self-vanishing. [Results] The average injury severity score was significantly lower in the SPA+group (17.18±2.39) than in the SPA-group (25.17±2.9 ; p=0.047). In addition, the number of injury sites, excluding the spleen, was less in the SPA+group (0.72±0.19) compared with in the SPA-group (1.9±0.3 ; p=0.007). No significant difference was found between the embolization-group and the self-vanishing group. [Conclusion] SPAs formed following blunt splenic injury tended to be associated with low-energy trauma and low injury severity scores.
