Closed hepatic injuries. Role of computerized axial tomography in the non-surgical therapy

We studied 33 patients with acute abdominal trauma, hepatic lesions and intraperitoneal hemorrhage. No surgical attitude was adopted, analyzing the CT appearance of the intraparenchymal lesions as well as the associated hemoperitoneum. One of the patients who had suffered left hepatic laceration did not have a good evolution. The most frequent lesions were intraparenchymal hematoma, lobar lacerations and subcapsular hematoma. In two cases, drainage of the intrahepatic collections were needed. The presence of hemoperitoneum was not an indication for emergency surgery. These results confirm the present tendency of conservative management with clinical, CT and ultrasound control of the different hepatic injuries, when the patients are hemodynamically stable.