Literature Review of the Role of Ultrasound, Computed Tomography, and Transcatheter Arterial Embolization for the Treatment of Traumatic Splenic Injuries

Introduction The spleen is the second most frequently injured organ following blunt abdominal trauma Trends in management have changed over the years Traditionally, laparotomy and,splenectomy was the standard management Presently, nonoperative management (NOM) of splenic injury is the most common management strategy in hemodynamically stable patients Splenic injuries can be managed via simple observation (OBS) or with angiography and embolization (AE) Angio-embolization has shown to be a valuable alternative to observational management and has increased the success rate of nonoperative management in many series Diagnostics Improved imaging techniques and advances in interventional radiology have led to a better selection of patients who are amenable to nonoperative management Despite this, there is still a lot of debate about which patients are prone to NOM Angiography and Embolization The optimal patient selection is still a matter of debate and the role of CT and angio-embolization has not yet fully evolved We discuss the role of sonography and CT features, such as contrast extravasation, pseudoaneurysms, arteriovenous fistulas, or hemoperitoneum, to determine the optimal patient selection for angiography and embolization We also review the efficiency technical considerations (proximal or selective embolization), logistics and complication rates of AE for blunt traumatic splenic injuries