Splenic laceration

Splenic laceration. This patient fell from a height on to his left side. CT shows a low attenuation laceration in the spleen (white arrow). There is fluid adjacent to the spleen and the liver (yellow arrows); however, the fluid appears denser than water (of similar density to muscle), and represents blood in the peritoneal cavity. Whereas splenectomy was previously a common way of managing these injuries, nowadays most splenic lacerations are managed conservatively, with close observation and follow-up CT or, when there is ongoing active haemorrhage, with embolization in Interventional Radiology.