Computed tomography of pancreatic trauma

In a review of over 300 CT scans of abdominal trauma, we encountered 13 patients with surgically proved pancreatic injuries. CT correctly diagnosed pancreatic fractures, contusions, or posttraumatic pseudocysts in 11 of these patients. There were two false positive and two false negative diagnoses. The CT diagnosis of pancreatic trauma may be difficult in selected patients who are scanned soon after injury. Acutely, the actual plane of a pancreatic fracture may be difficult to identify with CT, and the peripancreatic soft-tissue changes of traumatic pancreatitis are often subtle. Eight of 11 correctly diagnosed pancreatic injuries showed thickening of the left anterior renal fascia on CT scans. This sign should prompt a critical evaluation of the pancreas of the traumatized patient