Laparoscopic drainage of a post-traumatic intramural duodenal hematoma in a child

Duodenal intramural hematoma owing to blunt abdominal trauma is a relatively rare condition and is normally managed non-operatively. In this paper, we present the case of an 11-year-old boy with a post-traumatic duodenal hematoma, who after failing conservative management, underwent laparoscopic drainage. A four-port approach in a similar position to the laparoscopic cholecystectomy was used. After disentangling the inflammatory mass, the duodenal serosa was opened by simple hook diathermy and the hematoma evacuated. The child recovered uneventfully and was discharged home 48 hours later. To our knowledge, this is the first time that this condition has been successfully treated laparoscopically.