Periportal oedema of the liver: correlation with clinical and paraclinical parameters in polytraumatic patients

To clarify the occurrence of periportal edema in polytraumatic patients.

Retrospective analysis of computed tomography (CT) scans from 74 polytraumatic patients (12 females, 62 males; 14-88 years old, median 32 years) performed shortly after the trauma. Periportal oedema was found in 22 patients. The existence and extent of the periportal oedema were studied with regard to the injury type, sex, weight and age, heart frequency, arterial blood pressure, as well as the lactate, pH value, and base excess (BE) directly after the admission of the patient to the intensive care unit.

There is a relevant statistical correlation between the existence of periportal oedema and the abdominal trauma (P<.0001), independent of the type of abdominal injury. No relevant correlation between periportal oedema and existence of liver rupture, liver haematoma, other abdominal organ injury, abdominal vessel injury, fracture in the skeletal system, or intracerebral bleeding was found. Periportal oedema occurs more commonly in females than in males, more in light weight patients than in the others, and more frequent in young patients than in older ones. There is no correlation with arterial blood pressure, heart rate, pH value, lactate, and BE.

The existence of periportal oedema is one sign of abdominal trauma and is independent of liver injury. Although it correlates with the sex, weight, and age of the patient, there is no correlation with arterial blood pressure, heart rate, pH value, lactate, and BE.