Retrograde Urethrocystography Impairs Computed Tomography Diagnosis of Pelvic Arterial Hemorrhage in the Presence of a Lower Urologic Tract Injury

• Published in: Journal of the American College of Surgeons Vol. 206; no. 2; pp. 322 - 327
• Main Authors: Spencer Netto, Fernando Antonio Campelo, MD, PhD, Hamilton, Paul, MD, FRCPC, Kodama, Ron, MD, FRCSC, Scarpelini, Sandro, MD, PhD, Ortega, Sarah Joy, MD, FRCSC, Chu, Peter, MD, FRCSC, Rizoli, Sandro Baleotti, MD, FRCSC, Tremblay, Lorraine Norah, MD, FRCSC, FACS, Brenneman, Frederick, MD, FRCSC, FACS, Tien, Homer Chin-Nan, MD, FRCSC
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.02.2008; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials - diagnosis; Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials - etiology; Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials - therapy; Female; Fractures, Bone - complications; Fractures, Bone - diagnostic imaging; General aspects; Hemorrhage - diagnosis; Hemorrhage - etiology; Hemorrhage - therapy; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pelvic Bones - diagnostic imaging; Pelvic Bones - injuries; Reproducibility of Results; Retrospective Studies; Surgery; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Urethra - diagnostic imaging; Urethra - injuries; Urinary Bladder - diagnostic imaging; Urinary Bladder - injuries; Urinary Catheterization; Urography - methods; Wounds, Nonpenetrating - diagnostic imaging; Radiodiagnosis; Retrograde; Hemorrhage; Trauma; Artery; Medicine; Treatment; Pelvic cavity; Surgery; Medical imagery; Computerized axial tomography; Diagnosis; Lesion
• ISSN: 1072-7515; 1879-1190
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2007.07.025

Background There is controversy about the appropriate sequence of urologic investigation in patients with pelvic fracture. Use of retrograde urethrography or cystography may interfere with regular pelvic CT scanning for arterial extravasation. Study Design We performed a retrospective study at a regional trauma center in Toronto, Canada. Included were adult blunt trauma patients with pelvic fractures and concomitant bladder or urethral disruption who underwent initial pelvic CT before operation or hospital admission. Exposure of interest was whether retrograde urethrography (RUG) and cystography were performed before pelvic CT scanning. Main outcomes measures were indeterminate or false negative initial CT examinations for pelvic arterial extravasation. Results Sixty blunt trauma patients had a pelvic fracture and either a urethral or bladder rupture. Forty-nine of these patients underwent initial CT scanning. Of these 49 patients, 23 had RUG or conventional cystography performed before pelvic CT scanning; 26 had cystography after regular CT examination. Performing cystography before CT was associated with considerably more indeterminate scans (9 patients) and false negatives (2 patients) for pelvic arterial extravasation (11 of 23 versus 0 of 26, p < 0.001) compared with performing urologic investigation after CT. In the presence of pelvic arterial hemorrhage, indeterminate or false negative CT scans for arterial extravasation were associated with a trend toward longer mean times to embolization compared with positive scans (p = 0.1). Conclusions Extravasating contrast from lower urologic injuries can interfere with the CT assessment for pelvic arterial extravasation, delaying angiographic embolization.