Pancreatic Injury Involving Bicycle Handlebar in a Pediatric Patient

Significant pancreatic injuries can occur with minor handlebar trauma. Timely diagnosis of pancreatic injuries is critically important, since delayed diagnosis is the greatest determinant of morbidity. Children presenting to the emergency department after bicycle accidents should be treated with a high concern of suspicion regarding combined intra-abdominal trauma. The standard clinical approach of repeated regular physical examination and the use of abdomen CT examination should be followed. We report a case of pancreatic injury after blunt trauma by a bicycle handlebar. This 7-year-old boy experienced spleen preserving distal pancreatectomy with cholecystectomy. The initial symptom and signs were vague or uncertain. However, he revisited the emergency department with aggravated abdominal pain and vomiting. In conclusion, handlebar injuries must be considered potentially serious, no matter how trivial the accident may appear.