Blunt trauma of the spleen: the delayed rupture in computed tomography

Abstract

We retrospectively reviewed CT scans of 18 patients (12 males and 6 females; mean age: 43.6 years) with the diagnosis of blunt splenic trauma. All patients underwent CT at different times after the trauma. The cases were divided into 2 groups: according to the time at which the CT was performed, the 1st group consisted of 11 patients scanned within 48 h after the trauma; the 2nd group consisted of 7 patients studied with CT at variable times after the traumatic event (mean time: 6.5 days; range 3-13 days). All lesions in the 1st group (11 patients) had indistinct margins, while lesions of patients in the 2nd group (7 patients) always showed clean-cut and regular edges. Early lesions were always hyperdense, late ones hypodense. CT diagnosis always matched the surgeon's diagnosis. We can confirm the diagnostic value of CT of splenic lesions in blunt abdominal traumas.