Liver hematoma after blunt injury

A case report of a patient with blunt liver injury who had a demonstrated lesion of an intrahepatic branch of the left hepatic artery is presented. A large expanding parenchymal hematoma resulted in thrombosis of the hepatic vein, pulmonary emboli, and death. This case illustrates the elusiveness of intrahepatic injury caused by external blunt forces, the seriousness of intrahepatic bleeding uncontrolled by ligature of the vessel, and the tendency of hepatic veins to become thrombosed when there is an expanding intrahepatic lesion.