INTRODUCTION: Patients who sustain direct bladder trauma are at significant risk of bladder rupture. Contemporary literature supports conservative management for extraperitoneal (EP) bladder rupture using catheterized bladder drainage, and surgical repair with postoperative catheterization for intraperitoneal (IP) bladder rupture. A cystogram is standard practice for evaluating the integrity of the bladder prior to catheter removal, but indications and timing are not clearly defined. The aim of this retrospective study was to review the types of bladder injury and the results of cystography follow-up.
METHODS: A total of 15,046 patients were admitted to the authors' hospitals with traumatic injuries (including iatrogenic injuries) between January 2000 and March 2006. Patients with isolated, noncomplex bladder injuries were further evaluated for age, sex, cause of the injury, diagnostic methods used, type of management, follow-up results, and complications.
RESULTS: A total of 40 patients (0.03%) had isolated bladder injuries. The median age was 40.9 years. There were 24 males and 16 females. The bladder injuries were iatrogenic in 18 patients (45%), due to blunt trauma in 16 patients (40%), and due to penetrating gunshot wounds in 6 patients (15%). Of the 18 iatrogenic injuries, 12 were secondary to gynecological procedures; 14 of the 16 blunt trauma injuries were secondary to motor vehicle accidents. IP bladder ruptures were found in 24 patients (60%); EP bladder ruptures were found in 16 patients (40%). All patients underwent either surgical (70%) or conservative (30%) management and follow-up fluoroscopic cystography 7-21 days later. All cystograms were normal.
CONCLUSION: Iatrogenic and blunt injury represented the majority of bladder injuries. Follow-up cystograms were all normal and may not be required if catheter removal is planned after 14 days of drainage and the patient is asymptomatic. This recommendation applies to conservatively managed isolated EP and surgically repaired noncomplex IP bladder injuries only.
KEYWORDS: Cystography; Urinary bladder; Intraperitoneal and extraperitoneal injury; Iatrogenic.
CORRESPONDENCE: Dr. Ahmad Al-Sameraaii, Department of Urology, The St. George Hospital, Gray Street, Kogarah 2217, New South Wales, Australia ().
CITATION: Urotoday Int J. 2010 Jun;3(3).
doi:10.3834/uij.1944-5784.2010.06.20