Changes in the intestines and mesentery after blunt abdominal trauma as seen on the abdominal CT scan can be graded.
Patient selection: blunt abdominal trauma
Parameters:
(1) appearance of mesentery
(2) appearance of bowel wall in the small intestine
(3) other findings
Mesentery
Small Intestine
Other Findings
Grade
no changes
none
0
isolated contusion
1
hematoma < 5 cm in diameter
2
hematoma >= 5 cm in diameter
3
contusion or hematoma
+/- bowel wall thickening
+/- adjacent interloop fluid collection
4
NA
blood and/or contrast extravasation
5
pneumoperitoneum
Mesentery contusion: ill-defined, ground glass haziness; wispy or streaky opacities
A mesenteric hematoma appears as a discrete, measurable soft tissue density
Bowel wall thickening of the small bowel: > 3 mm
Interloop fluid collections are small triangular collections of free fluid within the mesentery or between bowel loops.
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Specialty: Emergency Medicine, Surgery, orthopedic
