J Korean Radiol Soc.  1994 Sep;31(3):501-504.

Role of CT in Blunt Hepatic Injury

• Park HJ
• Lee YS
• Kim HS
• Yang DM
• Kang S
• Chung HS

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to determine the role of the CT scan in blunt hepatic injury and the significance of CT degree of hepatic injury in the decision making of treatment plan.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We retrospectively analysed the CT findings of 22 patients with hepatic injury. We graded hepatic injury on CT scan into five according to the severity. Clinical records, type of management and clinical outcome of the patients were also reviewed.
RESULTS
Of the 22 patients, 17 had conservative treatment and five had surgery. The numbers of patients treated conservatively were 0, 4, 11, 2 and 0 in the grade 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively and the numbers of surgically treated cases were 0, 0, 3, 2 and 0 respectively. There was no significant statistical difference between surgically and conservatively treated groups(p-value > 0.05). All patients with conservatively treated group were hemodynamically stable and had no complication during hospitalization. Hemoperitoneum was observed in 11 of 22 patients.
CONCLUSION
In blunt hepatic injury, CT plays an important role in the demonstration of location and extent of the hepatic injury, size of hemoperitoneum and the post operative course. However, we believe that physiologic status of the patients may be more important than the extent of CT based hepatic injury for determining a mode of treatment.

MeSH Terms

Decision Making
Hemoperitoneum
Hospitalization
Humans
Retrospective Studies
Tomography, X-Ray Computed