Blunt abdominal trauma is a known but very rare cause of portal vein thrombosis. Most of the documented post-traumatic cases occur as a result of high-energy trauma, while only a few cases arise as a result of low-energy trauma. Approximately 40–60 % of patients with portal vein thrombosis are associated with thrombophilia [1]. Long-term anticoagulant therapy or local thrombolysis are generally used to treat this condition. If conservative treatment fails, surgical thrombectomy may be considered with an efficiency of about 30 % [2]. However, surgical thrombectomy may be the only chance for patients with impending or developing intestinal ischemia, such as in our patient's case.