Intravascular gas as an incidental finding at US after blunt abdominal trauma.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the occurrence and importance of intravascular gas at ultrasonography (US) during the initial examination of patients after blunt abdominal trauma.


METHODS
Reports of all abdominal US examinations performed at one institution for blunt trauma from October 1995 through June 1996 were reviewed. The charts of patients with intravascular gas were examined to determine the mechanism of injury, associated findings, and clinical outcome.


RESULTS
A total of 730 patients underwent abdominal US examinations during the 9 months of study; five had intravascular gas demonstrated. Two patients had portal venous gas, one had hepatic venous gas, and two had inferior vena caval gas. Four of the five patients were involved in motor vehicle accidents, and one had been assaulted. In patients in whom follow-up studies were obtained, there was no evidence of intravascular gas at US or computed tomography. No cause was found at imaging or clinical examination.


CONCLUSIONS
Intravascular gas may occur as a transient incidental finding after blunt abdominal trauma.
Brown
M A
MA
Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego 92103-8756, USA.
Hauschildt
J P
JP
Casola
G
G
Gosink
B B
BB
Hoyt
D B
DB
D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D006503:Hepatic Veins; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011169:Portal Vein; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*