Traumatic intramural hematoma of the duodenum: report of one case.

Traumatic intramural hematoma of the duodenum is a rare entity in children. A high clinical index of suspicion is necessary for early and accurate diagnosis. We report a 10-year-old girl presenting with a sudden onset of epigastralgia after impact on the epigastrium by the edge of a wooden bed while playing on it. Symptoms of high gastrointestinal obstruction were severe, with bilious and large amounts of nasogastric effluent. Image studies revealed a large hematoma extending from the second to the third portion of the duodenum. Her condition was managed successfully by conservative treatments with nasogastric decompression and total parenteral nutrition. Her hospital course was uneventful. This report serves as a reminder to clinicians to consider intramural hematoma of the duodenum in the differential diagnosis of blunt abdominal trauma.