The Role of Imaging in Spleen Injury Management

Abstract

The spleen is one of the most commonly injured organs in the body. Both blunt and penetrative injuries can damage the spleen. It is important to manage splenic injury appropriately to restore functionality and control further damage. In splenic injury management, imaging plays a significant role. It helps to establish the level of the injury and guide the course of treatment. For hemodynamically stable patients, non-operative management is appropriate. Hemodynamically unstable patients must undergo surgery that may include splenectomy to avoid excessive hemorrhage. Imaging helps to ascertain the injury grade, which also determines the action that will be taken. High-grade injuries require operations while low-grade injuries can be managed without a surgical operation. The most commonly used imaging method is computed tomography (CT). There are other imaging techniques that are used for different purposes. FAST, for example, is used to show whether there is internal bleeding.