title: Clinics in diagnostic imaging (164). Morel-Lavallée lesion.
abstract: A 31-year-old male motorcyclist presented with prepatellar swelling of the left knee after a collision with a car. Magnetic resonance imaging of the knee showed no bony or ligamentous injury to the knee. Instead, a well-defined, thin-walled, T2-weighted hyperintense fluid collection with internal septations was identified in a prefascial location overlying the left patella and patellar tendon. The findings were in keeping with those of a Morel-Lavallée lesion, a closed internal degloving injury. Morel-Lavallée lesions are occasionally encountered after a blunt soft-tissue trauma. The presentation and imaging features are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Sook Chuei Wendy
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Bak Siew Steven
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D058128:Compression Bandages; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices
keywords: Morel-Lavallée lesion; internal degloving injury; prefascial fluid accumulation
references.citation: AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2004 May;182(5):1289-94
references.pmid: 15100134
references.citation: Plast Reconstr Surg. 1992 May;89(5):853-5
references.pmid: 1561257
references.citation: Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1996 Aug;(329):46-53
references.pmid: 8769435
references.citation: Skeletal Radiol. 1997 Apr;26(4):239-41
references.pmid: 9151373
references.citation: J Trauma. 1997 Jun;42(6):1046-51
references.pmid: 9210539
references.citation: J Ultrasound Med. 2008 Jul;27(7):1077-81
references.pmid: 18577672
references.citation: AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2004 May;182(5):1347-8
references.pmid: 15868707
references.citation: Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am. 2005 Nov;13(4):775-82
references.pmid: 16275583
references.citation: J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2006 Jan;88(1):92-6
references.pmid: 16391253
references.citation: Am J Sports Med. 2007 Jul;35(7):1162-7
references.pmid: 17351119
references.citation: Skeletal Radiol. 2008 May;37(5):451-5
references.pmid: 18270699
references.citation: Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc. 2004;38(4):270-3
references.pmid: 15618769