Traumatic fracture of the pancreas: CT characteristics

Pancreatic fracture is a rare injury caused by blunt abdominal trauma. Few proven cases have been diagnosed by abdominal CT. The typical clinical triad of upper abdominal pain, leukocytosis, and hyperamylasemia is nonspecific. Abdominal CT gives the best opportunity for an immediate diagnosis. Nevertheless, few cases of traumatic pancreatic fracture have been diagnosed by abdominal CT within 24 h following injury and proven at laparotomy. In this report we describe five cases of traumatic pancreatic fracture identified on CT; four cases were verified at laparotomy. Traumatic pancreatic fracture generally occurs as a transverse transection across the neck of the pancreas. Commonly, an accompanying injury to other visceral organs is present. The diagnosis of pancreatic fracture requires a high index of suspicion with close scrutiny of the CT images.