RETROPERITONEAL TRAUMATIC LESIONS

Abstract

The presence of lesions on the retroperitoneum generally worsens the prognosis in traumatic pathology; it implies more attention and skills from both the medical and surgical aspect.

All type of trauma, blunt or open, may involve retroperitoneal structures and organs; specifically there may be lesions on the great vessels, pancreas, duodenum, oesophagus and genitourinary apparatus. Mortality is high, compared to abdominal traumatic lesions confined within the peritoneal sac. Treatment of single or associated lesions requires a multidisciplinary approach, as the surgical repair implies a specific knowledge and experience on different organs, whose abitual pathology lies on the hands of more surgical specialists.

Lesions of great vessels are immediately life-threatening; moreover the choice to “open” a patient for a retroperitoneal hematoma has to be taken upon a careful estimation. It could be better in more than a situation leave such hematoma in its place, specially in the iliac region, waiting for the spontaneous resolution of the hemorragic source and of the hematoma itself.

The involvement of oesophagus, duodenum or pancreas determines instead a poorer prognosis at a distance.

In conclusion retroperitoneal traumatic lesions are among the most challanging and serious emergencies, and necessite a maximum of attention and expertise by the surgical team involved. Only with a careful judgement about the tactics and the procedures to carry on it is possible to obtain valid results, which often means to safe the patients life.