Typical Computed Tomographic Images and Operation for Grade IV Pancreatic Injury

Abstract

A 43-year-old woman who had been in a traffic accident was referred to our emergency department from another hospital after a driver traffic accident. Her initial vital signs were unstable: blood pressure, 75/58 mm Hg; pulse rate, 95 beats/min; respiration rate, 18 breaths/min; body temperature, 36.8°C; and oxygen saturation, 98%. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) performed at another hospital revealed complete transection of the pancreas to the right of the superior mesenteric vein (Fig. 1.). Injury severity score of the patient was 57. Emergency surgery was performed, and pancreatic transection was observed (Fig. 2.). The splenic artery and vein were ligated at their proximal portions (Fig. 3.), and subtotal pancreatectomy was performed (Fig. 4.). After ligation of the main pancreatic duct in the remnant pancreas, the pancreatic stump was closed by fish-mouth interrupted sutures. The initial serum amylase and lipase levels were 104 and 275 IU/L, respectively, and their levels were highest (797 and 671 IU/L, respectively) on day 3 (Fig. 5.). A pancreatic pseudocyst was developed during follow-up period and succesfully treated by percutaneous drainage.