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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 June 2012
The mortality rate for penetrating trauma of the abdomen has declined to a present rate of approximately 10%. However, blunt abdominal trauma still carries a high mortality, in some reports up to 30%. This is due mainly to major trauma with a resulting slow onset of symptoms sometimes resulting in a delay in diagnosis and treatment. One possible cause of delayed symptomatology after abdominal trauma could be delayed perforation of intestinal wall hemorrhages. A survey of the literature on this type of intestinal lesion was done in 1977 by Hughes et al, who found 260 clinical reports of intestinal wall hematomas.