[Blunt trauma of the liver: treatment and results in 45 patients]

We report a retrospective analysis of 45 patients (41 male) aged between 14 and 57 years, with a blunt liver trauma seen between 1984 and 1993. Sixty two percent had complex liver lesions and 73% extraabdominal injuries. Peritoneal lavage and abdominal ultrasound appeared as useful diagnosis tools. Five patients were not operated and had a satisfactory evolution. Among operated patients, liver lesions were corrected with simple measures in 60%, hepatotomy in 7.5% and resection in 17.5%. As additional measures, tamponade was used in 4, resuscitation thoracotomy in 4, porto caval shunt in 2 and Marimoto balloon in 1. Eighteen percent of patients died and 32% had postoperative complications.