Duodenal injury in blunt abdominal trauma. Case report and literature review

Abstract

There are few reported cases of small bowel injury due to blunt abdominal trauma. We describe the clinical presentation and surgical management of these lesions. This is the clinical case of a polytraumatized male with a duodenal injury IIID3 according to AAST, who underwent resection of the intestinal segment with duodeno-duodenum anastomosis with favorable results. The infrequent presentation of injuries to the small intestine due to blunt trauma may lead the clinician to overlook the need for intentional interrogation about the kinematics of the trauma, while at the same time neglecting the taking of complementary diagnostic imaging studies, this because of a lack of clinical suspicion. It is important to analyze the patient’s context, which will allow us to assess the need to delve into diagnostic studies in order to optimize their treatment.