Full-Thickness Isolated Small Intestine Injury Due to Blunt Trauma

Isolated small intestine injury because of blunt trauma is a rarely encountered situation. Because it is difficult to diagnose, this injury can be associated with a prolonged clinical course and delay in treatment. In this article, we present an isolated full-thickness ileal trauma associated with a motor vehicle traffic accident. A 35-year-old male patient was kept under observation at another medical center following the motor vehicle traffic accident and was discharged early because no pathology was detected. He was later referred to our hospital’s emergency clinic with complaints of abdominal pain and vomiting after approximately 12 hours. The patient with acute abdomen was assessed by physical examination, laboratory tests, and imaging and was taken into surgery under emergency conditions. A full-thickness isolated ileal perforation and approximately 300 mm3 of intestinal contents were detected by laparotomy. Resection of necrotic tissues and end-to-end anastomosis was performed. During the post-operative period, he was discharged without complications. Even in situations in which a thorough investigation and examination are performed, considering that there might be an isolated case of small intestine trauma, it is very important to extend the monitoring, imaging, and observation periods of patients with blunt trauma with repeated physical examinations. (Eurasian J Emerg Med 2015; 14: 204-6)