Pancreatic Trauma

Pancreatic injury continues to present challenges to the trauma surgeon. The relatively rare occurrence of these injuries (0.2–12% of abdominal trauma), the difficulty in making a timely diagnosis, and high morbidity and mortality rates following complications justify the anxiety these unforgiving injuries invoke 1-3. Mortality rates for pancreatic trauma range from 9 to 34%, with a mean rate of 19%. Complications following pancreatic injuries are alarmingly frequent, occurring in 30 to 60% of patients 4. Nonetheless, if recognized early, the treatment of most pancreatic injuries is straightforward, with low morbidity and mortality. This review contains 10 figures, 2 tables, and 65 references. Key Words : Pancreatic trauma, injury, pediatric trauma, ERCP, MRCP, spleen-preserving pancreatectomy