Computed tomography in the detection of retroperitoneal hemorrhage after translumbar aortography

Direct imaging of retroperitoneal hemorrhage following translumbar aortography was performed using computed tomography. Seven patients were scanned over the area of aortic entry immediately after undergoing angiographic examination. In five cases, there was definite evidence of periaortic hematoma, most commonly seen as a discrete soft tissue density with absorption coefficients between +20 and +35 EMI units. Other signs of retroperitoneal bleeding were less consistently present (e.g., loss of aortic contour, aortic displacement, and thickening of diaphragmatic crura). The clinical implications of detecting significant hemorrhage following translumbar aortography are also discussed.