Comparison of MDCT protocols in trauma patients with suspected splenic injury: superior results with protocol that includes arterial and portal venous phase imaging
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Abdominal Imaging - Original Article
P: 395-399
September 2016

Comparison of MDCT protocols in trauma patients with suspected splenic injury: superior results with protocol that includes arterial and portal venous phase imaging

Diagn Interv Radiol 2016;22(5):395-399
1. Departments of Radiology and Acute Care Surgical Service, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA, USA
No information available.
No information available
Received Date: 21.07.2015
Accepted Date: 03.02.2016
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ABSTRACT

PURPOSE:

We aimed to determine which intravenous contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) protocol produced the most accurate results for the detection of splenic vascular injury in hemodynamically stable patients who had sustained blunt abdominal trauma.

METHODS:

We retrospectively reviewed 88 patients from 2003 to 2011 who sustained blunt splenic trauma and underwent contrast-enhanced MDCT and subsequent angiography. Results of MDCT scans utilizing single phase (portal venous only, n=8), dual phase (arterial + portal venous or portal venous + delayed, n=42), or triple phase (arterial + portal venous + delayed, n=38) were compared with results of subsequent splenic angiograms for the detection of splenic vascular injury.

RESULTS:

Dual phase imaging was more sensitive and accurate than single phase imaging (P = 0.016 and P = 0.029, respectively). When the subsets of dual phase imaging were compared, arterial + portal venous phase imaging was more sensitive and accurate than portal venous + delayed phase imaging (P = 0.005 and P = 0.002, respectively). Triple phase imaging was more accurate (P = 0.015) than dual phase; however, when compared with the dual phase subset of arterial + portal venous, there was no statistical difference in either sensitivity or accuracy.

CONCLUSION:

Our results support the use of dual phase contrast-enhanced MDCT, which includes the arterial phase, in patients with suspected splenic injury and question the utility of obtaining a delayed sequence.