Transection of the stomach after blunt injury in the pediatric population

The incidence of gastric rupture after abdominal blunt injury ranges between 0.02% and 1.7% and is associated with a high morbidity (Tejerina Alvarez EE, Holanda MS, Lopex-Espadas F, Dominguez MJ, Ots E, Diaz-Reganon J. Gastric rupture from blunt abdominal trauma. Injury. 2004;35:228-231, Allen GS, Moore FA, Cox CS. Hollow visceral injury and blunt trauma. J Trauma. 1998;45:69-75.). Stomach transection represents an even rarer type of blunt gastric injury. Although not specifically included in the accepted classification of stomach injury, its clinical manifestation is dramatic, requiring immediate surgical management. We present a case report from our institution and reviewed the international literature focusing on the pediatric patient to illustrate this injury in terms of mechanism of injury, clinical presentation, and surgical management.