Open AccessSpleen preserving distal pancreatectomy in an isolated blunt pancreatic trauma
Author(s) -
Alexandre Zanchenko Fonseca,
Marcelo Augusto Fontenelle Ribeiro,
Orlando Contrucci,
Alexandre Pompeo,
Adriana Goularth Orsetti,
Herico Arsie Neto
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
world journal of gastrointestinal surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1948-9366
DOI - 10.4240/wjgs.v3.i9.138
Subject(s) - medicine , splenectomy , abdominal trauma , leukocytosis , spleen , distal pancreatectomy , blunt , sepsis , surgery , pancreatic injury , pancreatectomy , blunt trauma , thrombocytosis , pancreatitis , resection , platelet
Blunt isolated pancreatic trauma is uncommon, accounting for 1%-4% of high impact abdominal injuries. In addition, its diagnosis can be difficult; physical signs may be poor and laboratory findings nonspecific, resulting in delayed treatment. Preserving the spleen during distal pancreatectomy (DP) is controversial. One of the spleen's functions regards immunity; complications following splenectomy include leukocytosis, thrombocytosis, overwhelming post splenectomy sepsis and some degree of immunodeficiency. This is why many authors favor its preservation. We describe a case of a young man with an isolated pancreatic trauma due to a blunt abdominal trauma with a delayed presentation who was treated with spleen-preserving DP and we discuss the value of this procedure with reference to the literature.