Percutaneous transcatheter arterial embolization in haemodynamically stable patients with blunt splenic injury

BACKGROUND The nonoperative management of the blunt splenic injury in haemodynamically stable patients has become an accepted treatment in recent years. We present a case of the blunt splenic injury successfully treated by supraselective embolization with microspheres. CASE REPORT A young hockey player was brought to the Emergency Department with the history of blunt abdominal trauma 2 h earlier. A Grade III splenic injury with haemoperitoneum was diagnosed on sonographic evaluation and the patient was treated with the selective distal splenic artery embolization with microspheres. Postprocedural ultrasound and computed tomography follow-up a year later revealed only a small area of parenchymal irregularity. CONCLUSIONS The percutaneous splenic arterial embolization has a major role in the management of traumatic splenic injuries. Embolization is particularly beneficial in injuries of grade III or higher.