Isolated Traumatic Injury of the Pancreatic Head: A Case Report

Isolated injury to the pancreas after abdominal trauma is uncommon, and a delay in diagnosis and treatment can increase the morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic decisions with respect to pancreatic trauma are usually made based on the site of injury and the status of the pancreatic ductal system. In this report, we describe the surgical management of pancreatic head transection as an isolated injury following blunt abdominal trauma. A 55-year-old man presented with epigastric pain that radiated to the back. Abdominal computed tomography revealed a hematoma in the pancreatic head and upstream dilatation of the main pancreatic duct. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed complete disruption of and contrast leakage from the main pancreatic duct in the pancreatic head region with a nonenhanced upstream duct. Emergency pancreaticoduodenectomy was successfully performed, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 9 without any complications. [ J Trauma Inj 2016; 29: 51-55 ]