[Conservative treatment of the spleen. Report of 50 cases]

From 1983 to 1989, 50 patients have been treated by spleen conservation. Traumatism was iatrogenic in 9 cases, caused by public highway accidents in 31 cases, domestic accident in 9 cases and penetrating trauma in one case. Spleen conservation includes: 26 partial splenectomies, 11 cauterisations, 10 sutures, 5 auto-transplantations, and 3 abstensions after laparotomy and little spleen trauma. Three deaths were observed secondary to cerebral trauma, and two complications have been seen: one during the operative solved by total splenectomy, and one rebleeding after splenorraphy, reoperated and splenectomy was performed with good evolution. The follow-up of partial splenectomy showed that splenic remnant keeps an epuration activity.