Isolated inferior phrenic artery injury following blunt trauma: A case report and literature review

Inferior phrenic artery injuries are typically iatrogenic or result from penetrating trauma; however, injury following blunt trauma is rare. In most cases of active traumatic bleeding in thoracoabdominal organs, laparotomy or thoracotomy is considered a safe approach for controlling hemorrhage. We report the case of a 56-year-old male truck driver who was transferred to a local trauma center. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed active contrast extravasation within the retrocrural space and from the right inferior phrenic artery, without evidence of active traumatic bleeding in thoracoabdominal organs. The patient was taken to the vascular intervention unit, where transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was successfully performed to control the hemorrhage. He was subsequently discharged in good condition. This case represents an unusual instance of right inferior phrenic artery injury without associated thoracoabdominal organ damage. TAE can be a less invasive, more precise, and reliable alternative to thoracotomy or laparotomy for managing inferior phrenic artery bleeding and controlling intrathoracic arterial hemorrhage.