title: Bowel and mesenteric injuries from blunt abdominal trauma: a review.
abstract: The bowel and the mesentery represent the third most frequently involved structures in blunt abdominal trauma after the liver and the spleen. Clinical assessment alone in patients with suspected intestinal and/or mesenteric injury from blunt abdominal trauma is associated with unacceptable diagnostic delays. Multi-detector computed tomography, thanks to its high spatial, time and contrast resolutions, allows a prompt identification and proper classification of such conditions. The radiologist, in fact, is asked not only to identify the signs of trauma but also to provide an indication of their clinical significance, suggesting the chance of conservative treatment in the cases of mild and moderate, non-complicated or self-limiting injuries and focusing on life-threatening conditions which may benefit from immediate surgical or interventional procedures. Specific and non-specific CT signs of bowel and mesenteric injuries from blunt abdominal trauma are reviewed in this paper.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Pineta Grande Medical Center, Via Domitiana, Km 30, 81100, Castel Volturno, Italy, francescoiaselli@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Iaselli
authors.forename: Maria Antonietta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mazzei
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Firetto
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Elia
authors.forename: Nevada Cioffi
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Squitieri
authors.forename: Pietro Raimondo
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Biondetti
authors.forename: Francesco Maria
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Danza
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scaglione
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D008643:Mesentery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media