Gastrointestinal ImagingTrauma, small bowel
Trauma to the small bowel is usually due to blunt injury, e.g. in road traffic accidents. Penetrating
trauma may cause perforation of or bleeding from the bowel wall (
Fig.1). Only injuries to the spleen, liver and kidneys are more common. Patients may present with
abdominal pain with or without peritonitis. Plain films of the
abdomen may show pneumoperitoneum. Radiological findings include bowel wall thickening, extraluminal air, mesenteric
haematoma, localised mesenteric streaking and intraperitoneal fluid.
Late complications include small bowel strictures, thought to be due to local ischaemic lesions.
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During drilling, a piece of the drillbit (arrowhead) broke off and penetrated the abdominal wall and small bowel, causing pneumoperitoneum (arrows).
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Trauma, small bowel, Fig.1 | |