Evidence Hub

Isolated celiac trunk dissection following blunt abdominal trauma: A case report and review of the literature

Mohamed Guelbi, M. Hajri, Aziz Atallah, Z. Hadrich, Hafedh Mestiri, Sahir Omrani

Trauma Case Reports, 2025

1 citation

Abstract

Introduction Celiac trunk dissection is an extremely rare vascular injury in the setting of blunt abdominal trauma, accounting for less than 0.01 % of all trauma cases. Despite its rarity, this condition carries significant clinical relevance due to the celiac artery's role in perfusing vital upper abdominal organs. Clinical presentation varies widely, and diagnosis is often incidental during imaging for trauma evaluation. Management strategies range from conservative therapy to endovascular or surgical intervention, depending on the clinical context. Presentation of case We report the case of a 44-year-old woman who presented to the emergency department after being struck by a vehicle. She was hemodynamically stable and reported upper abdominal pain. Contrast-enhanced CT scan revealed an isolated dissection of the celiac trunk, with preserved distal perfusion and no associated organ injury or ischemia. The patient was managed conservatively with anticoagulation, blood pressure control, and close monitoring. Her condition remained stable, and she was discharged on antiplatelet therapy. Follow-up was uneventful. Discussion Celiac artery dissection following blunt trauma is a diagnostic challenge due to its variable and often subtle clinical presentation. A high index of suspicion and appropriate arterial-phase CT imaging are essential for timely diagnosis. Most stable patients without ischemic complications can be managed nonoperatively, provided adequate collateral…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

Read the paper

Related studies

Go deeper in Evidence Hub

Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.

Open this study Sign up free