Concussion of the colon: paediatric patient with traumatic cecal haematoma

A 14-year-old boy was injured from playing football, and subsequently developed worsening abdominal pain. CT of the abdomen and pelvis was concerning for a mass of ascending colon, with free fluid in the pelvis. The patient was emergently taken to the operating room where he was found to have a cecal haematoma. The patient underwent a right hemicolectomy and ileocolostomy and was discharged home just days later without any acute complications. As cecal haematomas are a rare entity, the best approach to management is not well defined. When the diagnosis is uncertain, or if the possibility of full-thickness injury exists, exploratory laparoscopy or laparotomy is the safest approach.