Fatal isolated ruptures of bladder following minor blunt trauma

Traumatic bladder ruptures are generally secondary to severe trauma and associated with pelvic fractures. Conversely, isolated bladder ruptures following minor blunt trauma are rare and seldom fatal. We describe six fatal cases (five males, one female, 39-82 years old) of isolated bladder rupture subsequent to minor blunt trauma. Three cases were out-of-hospital deaths and among the three hospital cases, only one was diagnosed as bladder rupture ante-mortem. All victims had a history of chronic alcohol abuse. The differentiation between spontaneous and traumatic (accidental or purposely inflicted) bladder ruptures is crucial but may be difficult to assess, especially in cases involving alcohol abuse and occurring in a domestic setting.