Massive gastrointestinal bleeding following blunt abdominal trauma: an unusual case presentation

Small bowel injuries following blunt abdominal trauma have been characterized by disruption of the bowel. With the advent of seatbelts, damage to the adjacent mesentery has also been reported. In this case report, an unusual presentation of damage to the small intestine was noted in that both the bowel wall and the mesentery were intact but two small areas of the mucosa had been disrupted, causing massive gastrointestinal bleeding. The sulfur colloid scan was useful in localizing the site of bleeding and the patient responded well to a segmental bowel resection followed by end-to-end anastomosis.