[Major renal trauma: report of 18 cases]

The authors report a retrospective study concerning 18 patients having major renal trauma. The patients study group was comprised of 11 males (61%) and seven females (39%) with a mean age of 23 years. The etiologic agents were traffic accident (eight cases), falls (five cases) and stab wounds (five cases). Gross hematuria was present in all the patients. After radiologic investigations the renal injuries were classified according to the American Association for Surgery of Trauma. Two patients were in stage V, seven in stage IV and nine in stage III. Three patients were operated in emergency for hemodynamic instability, two had a total nephrectomy and one a partial nephrectomy. Five patients underwent surgery between the 5th and 7th day, three had a suture of the renal parenchyma under a nephrostomy, one a partial nephrectomy and the third a total nephrectomy. Two patients had only a urinary drainage by placement of an ureteral stent in order to diminish the urohematoma. Eight patients were treated conservatively and all were in stage III. The mean retreat was 16 months. There was no mortality and among the eight patients who underwent surgery, none had complications, aside from two wound infections. The patients who were managed conservatively had good progression; they all had a control by computed tomography which showed that the urohematoma had decreased. None of the patients developed hypertension or infection of the urohematoma.