Chrissy Vandillen's research while affiliated with St. Claire Regional Medical Center and other places

Splenic infarction is a rare medical condition that usually occurs in the setting of hematologic disorders. It is rarely seen in previously healthy adolescents. A wandering spleen increases the risk of splenic infarct due to risk of torsion and is more commonly seen in pregnancy due to increased elasticity of connective tissue. Wandering spleen may also be associated with diseases, such as Ehlers-Danlos, and should be suspected in the patient with possible underlying connective tissue dysfunction. Although rare, splenic infarction must be on the differential for unremitting upper epigastric pain, fever, and vomiting, particularly when patient medical history suggests connective tissue dysfunction. This case discusses the course of a pediatric patient with abdominal pain with complex medical history found to have splenic infarction secondary to torsion of a wandering spleen initially discovered on emergency CT imaging. Although rarely indicated in pediatric patients with abdominal pain, lower threshold for CT imaging for ruling out emergent etiology resulted in life-saving treatment. This case demonstrates the importance of clinical suspicion for emergency etiology of abdominal pain in pediatric patients with medical history suspicious for connective tissue dysfunction, and therefore lowering the threshold for CT imaging to rule out splenic infarction in these patients.

In the following case presentation, a young man who incurred orbital compartment syndrome (OCS) from physical trauma significantly improved from timely lateral canthotomy. Lateral canthotomy is recommended to be performed as soon as possible to avoid permanent vision loss, which is the most feared complication associated with orbital compartment syndrome. This procedure completely restored vision in the patient and permitted prompt discharge.