Traumatic Retroperitoneal Injuries: Review of Multidetector CT Findings

Multidetector computed tomography (CT) represents a significant advance in CT technology and can allow the accurate assessment of trauma patients, including the detection of traumatic retroperitoneal injuries, many of which are clinically occult. Retroperitoneal injuries include duodenal, pancreatic, vascular, renal, and adrenal injuries. Abnormal blood, fluid, or air within the retroperitoneal spaces may be isolated findings but can also occur in association with these injuries, and their recognition is the key to correctly identifying the injury. Accurate characterization of injury with CT can affect clinical management and can help minimize unnecessary laparotomies. Equivocal findings at initial abdominal CT should prompt close clinical follow-up with possible imaging follow-up, particularly for suspected occult duodenal and pancreatic injuries.