[Traumatic lesions of the colon]

Four patients operated on at the Clinica Chirurgica II of IRCCS--Policlinico San Matteo of Pavia for trauma involving the colon were reviewed. All were males and their ages ranged from 14 to 84 years (mean 43.5 years). Injuries of the colon were found on 9 per cent of all patients operated on for abdominal penetrating injuries and on 6 per cent of patients with blunt injuries. The authors recall the pathogenetic mechanisms, clinical patterns, some grading systems proposed for quantifying the severity of the lesion. Our experience has shown that in blunt trauma the prognosis is worse because there were many associated organ injuries. These condition the early mortality for shock and exsanguination.