Diagnosis and treatment of giant lateral abdominal wall haematoma after blunt trauma: A case report

Abstract

Lateral abdominal wall haematoma after blunt trauma that require surgery is rare. They usually present with pain, bruising and swelling after trauma. We report a case of a fit and healthy young girl who developed a large lateral abdominal wall haematoma following blunt trauma. Initially the haematoma was managed conservatively, however in view of increasing size surgical removal was undertaken. Post operatively the patient developed a small seroma and which was subsequently drained under ultrasound guidance. A thorough review of the literature has identified there are various options of treatment for patients with lateral abdominal wall haematoma. We conclude that management of giant traumatic lateral abdominal wall haematoma can be challenging, some will eventually need surgical intervention. © 2009 Dutta et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.