Pancreatic Injury Caused By A Fall From Height: Transection at the Tail

Cem OKTAY; Dilek DURMAZ; Ozgur Onder KARADENIZ; Soner ISIK

doi:10.5505/1304.7361.2014.23230

Cem OKTAY¹, Dilek DURMAZ², Ozgur Onder KARADENIZ³, Soner ISIK⁴

¹Department of Emergency Medicine, Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, Antalya
²Department of Emergency Medicine, Sevket Yılmaz Training and Research Hospital, Bursa
³Department of Emergency, Balikesir State Hospital, Baliskesir
⁴Department of Emergency, Antalya Life Hospital, Antalya

Keywords: Abdominal trauma; computed tomography; pancreatic injury

Abstract

Isolated pancreatic injury due to blunt abdominal trauma is rare and may be clinically difficult to diagnose. Parenchymal injuries may not be recognized during initial evaluation. We report the case of a 30-year-old male presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with the complaint of persistent abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. His medical history revealed that he fell from a height of approximately 1.5 meters 1 day ago and hit an iron block. He was presented and discharged from another hospital ED. Contrast enhanced computerized tomography (CECT) of the abdomen was ordered during his second presentation and revealed pancreatic parenchymal contusion, laceration, and transection at the tail of pancreas. Our findings suggest that, when there is high index of suspicion for pancreatic injury, a CECT should always be ordered.