A traumatic duodenal hematoma (DH) is an unusual event, occurring
mainly in children and young individuals, with a male predominance in both age
groups. Furthermore, it can be a diagnostic challenge because of unreliable
history, nonspecific signs and symptoms, delayed appearance, and the duodenum’s
retroperitoneal location.1,2
Sonography is considered a reliable screening tool for blunt abdominal
trauma (BAT)3,4; however, since the beginning of the
last decade, only a small number of reported DH cases5–,8 have been described by sonography.
Discussion
Accurate diagnosis is essential for proper treatment of a DH. The
clinical appearance and findings including abdominal pain, vomiting,
tenderness, and a palpable mass can be nonspecific, accompanied by unremarkable
laboratory test results.6,8
Blunt abdominal trauma, sometimes minor, is the leading cause of DHs,
which occur in approximately four fifths of patients.9,10 Bleeding disorders, Henoch-Schönlein
purpura, anticoagulation therapy, alcoholism, pancreatitis, tumors, duodenal
ulcers, and local or iatrogenic factors are other implicative causes.7,10–,13
Most hematomas resolve spontaneously without permanent changes.
Treatment may be surgical or conservative using nasogastric suction and
adequate parenteral nutrition. Expectant treatment of an isolated DH is
generally preferred. Failure of conservative treatment is considered when there
is no evidence of partial resolution after 5 days or complete resolution after
10 days or in cases of perforation, indicating surgical treatment.14
All pictures extracted from http://cai.md.chula.ac.th/lesson/atlas/T/page1t.html
An upper GI series was for many years the only diagnostic tool for DHs
before the advent of CT, which has been established as the examination of
choice for duodenal injuries, especially in disclosing complications such as
perforation and abscesses.15 However, CT was found to be diagnostic
in 60% of patients with duodenal perforation.1
Various sonographic patterns have been described in DHs: (1) a duodenal
wall thickening with hypoechogenicity16; (2) a duodenum-related mass of
variable echogenicity, depending on the age of the hematoma7; and (3) a prevertebral cystic lesion
simulating a pancreatic pseudocyst.6 This variability may reflect the
difficulty in distinguishing the origin of small retroperitoneal lesions
proximal to the bowel wall in the upper abdomen because of the enteric gas
component and also the different characteristics of a hematoma depending on its
age. Color-coded imaging has been shown to be helpful in differentiating a
spontaneous DH from an intestinal mass.8
Sonography may be the first examination performed in a patient with
epigastric abdominal pain or a palpable abdominal mass,8 and it is useful to be familiar with
this uncommon entity. In BAT, sonography can additionally show associated
lesions, including pancreatic traumatic pseudocysts and parenchymal
lacerations, or a small amount of ascites caused by peritoneal blood or
pancreatic fluid.17In conclusion, sonography may play a primary role, both in the diagnosis and the monitoring of DHs, when conservative treatment is attempted. Computed tomography may be reserved for inconclusive cases.
© 2004 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine