The resurging interest in diagnostic laparoscopy has witnessed its increasing application in trauma surgery. Such unbridled enthusiasm has at times overlooked its shortcoming in the diagnosis and management of certain in abdominal injuries. We report and discuss one such conspicuous limitation and advocate that the use laparoscopy in abdominal trauma should be tempered with caution.

Computed tomography (CT) plays a major role in diagnosis of blunt abdominal trauma of haemodynamically-stable children. The purpose of this article is to review the CT findings in children with hepatic, splenic, renal, adrenal, pancreatic, bowel, and mesentery injuries and in children with blunt abdominal trauma and active haemorrhage.

Missed intra-abdominal injuries are among the most frequent causes of potentially preventable trauma deaths. The evaluation and management of abdominal trauma is dependant on multiple factors, including mechanism of injury, location of injury, hemodynamic status of the patient, neurologic status of the patient, associated injuries, and institutional resources.