A Pediatric Radiology textbook and Pediatric Radiology digital library
Pancreatic Trauma
Etiology: blunt abdominal trauma
Imaging: spectrum is contusion (pancreatic enlargement) / laceration / fracture, best indicators for injury is fluid in lesser sac or anterior pararenal space or anterior to the portal vein, peripancreatic fluid collection / pseudocyst
Note: absence of peripancreatic fluid does not exclude pancreatic trauma
Cases of Pancreatic Trauma
Axial CT with contrast of the abdomen (above) shows an enlarged pancreatic head with some mild intrahepatic biliary dilation and non-visualization of the common bile duct. Transverse US of the pancreas obtained a day later (below) shows an enlarged hypoechoic pancreatic head.Axial CT with contrast of the abdomen shows a linear low density just anterior to the portal vein at the junction of the pancreatic head and pancreatic body. There is a large amount of peripancreatic fluid.