Abdomen (A Pandora’s Box): A Delayed Presentation of Blunt Abdominal Injury With a Mesenteric Tear Leading to Gangrenous Bowel

TL;DR

A delayed case of abdominal injury from a road accident led to a gangrenous bowel due to a mesenteric tear, emphasizing the need for prompt diagnosis and treatment.

Contribution

This case report highlights the importance of timely intervention in delayed presentations of blunt abdominal trauma.

Findings

A mesenteric tear caused gangrenous ileum in a patient with delayed blunt abdominal trauma.

Prompt surgical intervention reduced morbidity and case fatality in this case.

High clinical suspicion is crucial for diagnosing delayed complications of abdominal injuries.

Abstract

In the emergency department, blunt trauma to the abdomen is frequently seen following a blunt injury. Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of this type of injury. This is a case presentation of a young adult male who presented to the emergency medicine department one week after he had a road traffic accident. After the initial assessment, an ileal perforation with peritonitis was suspected, and the patient was taken up for surgery. Intraoperative findings led to the patient being diagnosed with a case of gangrenous ileum secondary to a complete mesenteric tear. This case report highlights how a high level of suspicion and prompt intervention in a timely manner can play an important role in reducing morbidity and case fatality.

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