Blunt Abdominal Trauma with Splenic Laceration Treated by Embolization

Contrast-enhanced CT imaging remains the gold standard of care for diagnosing blunt splenic injuries in children. Extended focused assessment sonography is commonly performed in the emergency department as an adjunct to physical exams in seriously injured children to evaluate the abdominal cavity for free blood and organ injury. Nonoperative management remains the gold standard for the treatment of blunt splenic injuries in hemodynamically stable pediatric patients. According to recent American Pediatric Surgical Association guidelines, splenic arterial embolization (SAE) is a safe alternative to surgical interventions where hemodynamic stability cannot be achieved by nonoperative management and in hemodynamically unstable children. SAE allows for the preservation of the spleen and maintenance of the immune competence.