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Splenic infarct

A splenic infarct, in the abdominal ultrasound context, refers to an area of dead tissue within the spleen caused by an interruption of its blood supply. This critical condition often results from arterial occlusion due to embolism, thrombosis, or vasculitis, leading to acute pain in the left upper quadrant. On ultrasound, acute infarcts typically appear as hypoechoic, wedge-shaped lesions with a base against the capsule.

As the infarct progresses, the affected area may become more anechoic or develop complex echogenicity, reflecting liquefaction or necrosis. Doppler ultrasound is crucial for confirming the absence of blood flow within the lesion. Recognizing splenic infarcts via abdominal ultrasound is essential for timely diagnosis and management, helping to differentiate it from other abdominal pathologies and guide patient care.

Clinical Author

Bruno Vargas is originally from Mexico City. He first trained as an Emergency Medical Technician at la Universidad Panamericana (UP) before starting medical school at la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico City. Later he did his social service year in the Sierra Madre of Chiapas with Partners in Health Mexico/Compañeros en Salud (CES) in 2019, where he was trained in Global Health, social medicine, and introduced to Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS). At that moment while working in a resource-limited setting he became passionate about POCUS. He graduated as a general practitioner, and afterward stayed with CES during the pandemic as part of the COVID-19 task force, training community healthcare workers and “pasantes” (first-year doctors doing their year of social service). He finished the Ultrasound Leadership Academy (ULA) fellowship and has started a POCUS training program at his site with midwives, nurses, doctors, and trainees from these areas. He is currently doing a Global Health Fellowship with HEAL as a site fellow in Chiapas with CES. He has committed to a lifelong career in global health providing healthcare access to the most marginalized communities. He has a profound respect and admiration for nature and loves any kind of outdoor activities, especially bicycling, high mountain, and scuba-diving.

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