[Role of a "watch and wait" policy in the treatment of blunt traumatic lesions of the spleen in adults].

Modern imaging has considerably modified our therapeutic indications, as it allows appreciating the nature of traumatic lesion s of the spleen. We now know that part of the damage sustained by this organ does not evolve towards major internal hemorrhages. In addition, it is advisable to avoid splenectomy, which entails its own complications. It is therefore justified, not only to preserve the spleen, but also to perform no laparotomy whenever this is possible. A series of 22 injured patients, following several isolate cases of "watch and wait policy", confirms the validity of our attitude.