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Miscellaneous
Late complication of blunt abdominal trauma
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  1. B Abboud1,
  2. G Sleilaty1,
  3. J B Jaoude2,
  4. M Riachi3,
  5. G Tabet4
  1. 1Department of General Surgery, Hotel Dieu de France Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
  2. 2Department of Gastroenterology, Hotel Dieu de France Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
  3. 3Department of Pneumology and Intensive Care Unit, Hotel Dieu de France Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
  4. 4Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hotel Dieu de France Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
  1. Correspondence to:
    Dr B Abboud
    Department of General Surgery, Hotel Dieu de France Hospital, Alfred Naccache Street, Beirut, Lebanon; dbabboudyahoo.fr

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/gut.2003.034801

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    Clinical presentation

    A 34 year old man was evaluated in the emergency department for a two day history of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, dyspnoea, and breathlessness. He had a history of blunt abdominal trauma 13 years ago with recurrent symptoms of bowel obstruction resolving spontaneously. The patient reported having had bowel movements the morning of his presentation but no subsequent passing of flatus. His temperature was 37.3°C with slight sinus tachycardia (108/mn) and blood pressure of 100/60 mm Hg. He was lethargic but normally oriented. Physical examination revealed mild tenderness in the mid abdomen with absent bowel sounds. No breath sounds were heard in the left lower thorax. Laboratory work demonstrated elevated white blood cell count. Plain chest films obviated an elevated diaphragm bilaterally, more pronounced on the left side. A thoracoabdominal computed tomography scan study was undertaken (fig 1).

    Figure 1
    Figure 1

     Thoracoabdominal computed tomography scan.

    Question

    How can the left hemithorax content be related to the patient’s complaints?
    See page 1498for answer

    This case is submitted by:

    Footnotes

    • Robin Spiller, Editor

    Linked Articles

    • Miscellaneous
      EDITOR’S QUIZ: GI SNAPSHOT
      BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Society of Gastroenterology
      Gut 2004; 53 1498-1498 Published Online First: 10 Sep 2004.