Paediatric duodenal haematoma: Nonoperative management of blunt traumatic injury

Trauma is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the paediatric population. Following the head and extremities, the abdomen is the third most commonly injured anatomic region in children [1]. We present a case of a massive duodenal haematoma secondary to blunt trauma that was managed nonoperatively. Several cases reports in the literature cite successful nonoperative management of duodenal haematoma by nasogastric decompression, bowel rest, and total parenteral nutrition [4], with resumed eating an average of 16 days after injury [9]. However, if the abdominal pain or obstruction fail to improve and/or resolve with medical management over seven to ten days, complications such as infarction or peritonitis are frequent, and surgical intervention may be required [3].