Fonseca AZ, Jr MAFR, Contrucci O, Pompeo A, Orsetti A, Neto HA. Spleen preserving distal pancreatectomy in an isolated blunt pancreatic trauma. World J Gastrointest Surg 2011; 3(9): 138-141 [PMID: 22007283 DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v3.i9.138]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Alexandre Zanchenko Fonseca, MD, Department of General Surgery, University of Santo Amaro, Rua Rita Joana de Souza, 42 - Campo Belo, São Paulo-SP, CEP 04601-060, Brazil. alexandre.fonseca@einstein.br
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
Open-Access Policy of This Article
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Alexandre Zanchenko Fonseca, Marcelo Augusto Fontenelle Ribeiro Jr, Orlando Contrucci, Alexandre Pompeo, Adriana Orsetti, Herico Arsie Neto, Department of General Surgery, University of Santo Amaro, São Paulo-SP, CEP 04601-060, Brazil
Author contributions: Fonseca AZ, Pompeo A, Ribeiro Jr MAF and Orsetti A performed research and wrote the paper; Fonseca AZ, Neto HA, Contrucci O and Ribeiro Jr MAF operated on the patient.
Correspondence to: Alexandre Zanchenko Fonseca, MD, Department of General Surgery, University of Santo Amaro, Rua Rita Joana de Souza, 42 - Campo Belo, São Paulo-SP, CEP 04601-060, Brazil. alexandre.fonseca@einstein.br
Telephone: +55-11-50446235 Fax: +55-11-32846892
Received: November 24, 2010 Revised: July 26, 2011 Accepted: August 5, 2011 Published online: September 27, 2011
Abstract
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.
