Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Changes in splenic size after abdominal trauma.

L R Goodman1, C Aprahamian

  • 1Department of Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226.

Radiology
|September 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Uterine transplant: from imagination to implementation.

BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology·2019
Same author

Efforts to redefine endometriosis prevalence in low-risk patients.

BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology·2017
Same author

Trends Over Time and Surgical Outcomes of Abdominal, Mini-Laparotomy, and Traditional and Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopy With and Without Tandem Mini-Laparotomy: A Comparison of Myomectomy Techniques.

Journal of minimally invasive gynecology·2016
Same author

Introducing Larger Equipment: A Novel Method in Laparoscopic Surgery With Smaller Port Sites.

Journal of minimally invasive gynecology·2016
Same author

A case of tracheal varices: an unusual but important cause of mural nodules in the trachea.

The British journal of radiology·2011
Same author

Development of a methodology for successful multigeneration life-cycle testing of the estuarine sheepshead minnow, Cyprinodon variegatus.

Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology·2008
Same journal

Erratum for: Prediction of Lobar Emphysema Progression with a CT-Based Foundational Model.

Radiology·2026
Same journal

Erratum for: Associations of MRI-derived Paraspinal IMAT and LMM with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: Results from a German Cohort.

Radiology·2026
Same journal

Erratum for: Blue Rubber Bleb Nevus Syndrome.

Radiology·2026
Same journal

Redefining the Clinical Role of MRI in Endometrial Cancer Staging.

Radiology·2026
Same journal

To Ablate or Not to Ablate: The Colorectal Liver Metastasis Question.

Radiology·2026
Same journal

The Limits of Radiologic Categorization in Pulmonary Nonsolid Nodules.

Radiology·2026
See all related articles

Enlargement of the spleen after blunt abdominal trauma on CT scans is common. This splenic enlargement does not indicate clinical deterioration or the need for splenectomy.

Area of Science:

  • Radiology
  • Trauma Surgery
  • Emergency Medicine

Background:

  • Splenic volume changes after blunt abdominal trauma are frequently observed on serial computed tomographic (CT) scans.
  • The clinical significance of splenic enlargement in hemodynamically stable patients post-trauma remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the frequency and clinical significance of splenic enlargement detected on serial CT scans following blunt abdominal trauma.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 44 hemodynamically stable patients with blunt abdominal trauma.
  • CT scans were assessed for splenic, hepatic, and visceral injury severity scores.
  • Intraperitoneal fluid volume and splenic volume changes were quantified.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Splenic enlargement (>10%) occurred in 57% of patients (average 56% increase).
  • Splenic enlargement did not correlate with clinical deterioration or splenectomy requirement.
  • Enlargement modestly correlated with intraperitoneal fluid, blood transfusions, and systemic trauma indexes.

Conclusions:

  • Splenic enlargement on follow-up CT scans after blunt abdominal trauma is a common finding.
  • This phenomenon is not indicative of clinical deterioration or increased need for splenectomy.
  • Adrenergic stimulation and fluid shifts are likely causes of post-traumatic splenic enlargement.