Features of 164 bladder ruptures.

We reviewed 164 cases of bladder rupture from external trauma. Of these patients 145 (88 per cent) suffered blunt trauma, and 59 (35.5 per cent) suffered intraperitoneal, 93 (57.5 per cent) extraperitoneal and 12 (7 per cent) both types of rupture. Bladder rupture owing to blunt trauma was caused by a compression (burst) type of injury in all patients with intraperitoneal rupture and in 24 per cent of those with extraperitoneal rupture. In the remaining instances of extraperitoneal rupture pelvic bone fragments corresponded to the site of the injury. Although surgical repair has been the traditional method of management of all bladder ruptures, nonoperative (catheter) management of extraperitoneal rupture was successful in most cases.