Blunt abdominal trauma with left kidney dropped into lower retroperitoneal cavity: A case report and literature review

• Published in: Hong Kong journal of emergency medicine Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 176 - 179
• Main Authors: Lee, TY, Chang, HM, Shih, ML, Chen, TW, Hsieh, CB, Chan, DC, Yu, JC, Liao, GS
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01-05-2016; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Abdomen; Abdominal injuries; acute kidney injuries; Blunt trauma; Case reports; Kidneys; lacerations; nonpenetrating wounds; Retroperitoneum; Tomography; Trauma; Treatment; Wounds and injuries; Hong Kong; China; acute kidney injuries; lacerations; nonpenetrating wounds; Abdominal injuries
• ISSN: 1024-9079; 2309-5407
• DOI: 10.1177/102490791602300307

Blunt abdominal injury with kidney laceration is not unusually seen in high-energy traffic accident. It can present with no symptoms and yet lead to fatal complications. High-grade lacerations of kidney (American Association for the Surgery of Trauma [AAST] grade IV to V) will show up with contrast extravasation and disrupted kidney/pelvicalyceal system morphology in computed tomography (CT). However, it is rare to see kidney dislocation from retroperitoneal space because of the presence of the Gerota's fascia. We present a case of a 16-year-old boy suffering from traffic accident with blunt truncal/abdominal injury. The contrast CT of abdomen revealed that his left kidney was dislocated from the original retroperitoneal space and sagged to the lower retroperitoneal cavity. We performed emergency left nephrectomy. He recovered well and there was no complication noted after the surgical intervention. We also review the literature of kidney laceration regarding diagnosis and treatment.