Treatment of Pancreatic Rupture

An isolated complete rupture of the pancreas following non-penetrating abdominal trauma is rare, only 26 cases having been published (Hublin, 1950; Blandy, Hamblen and Kerr, 1959; Letton and Wilson, 1959; Bracey, 1961; Lindholm and Peterson, 1963).Pseudocysts are relatively common, but they may be interpreted as late sequelae of undiagnosed ruptures.If the duct system of the pancreas has become lacerated, pancreatic secretion leaks into adjoining spaces.Doubilet and Mulholland (1959) have stressed the importance of both the loss of salt-rich fluid and the digestive capacities of the activated trypsinogen.Trypsin is capable of digesting pancreas itself and all structures in the path of flow.The reason for the variations in proteolytic activity in different cases is unknown.Three cases treated at the Children's Hospital, Helsinki, are of therapeutic interest.