Solid Organ Injury

Abstract

This chapter on solid organ injury covers the commonly encountered radiological emergencies of splenic, liver, and renal trauma. Solid organ injury includes a broad group of life-threatening entities involving the intra-abdominal organs that occur in the setting of blunt or penetrating abdominal trauma. We discuss the role of the consulting radiologist in abdominal trauma, including the keys to making the diagnosis of solid organ injury with multimodality imaging, as well as the differential diagnoses, grading of injury, and potential treatment options. Case examples provided in the chapter include a Segment VII liver laceration with hemoperitoneum, splenic laceration with pseudoaneurysm, and renal trauma with arteriovenous fistula formation.