Colonic stricture secondary to blunt abdominal trauma--report of a case and review of the aetiology.

A 24 year old man sustained multiple injuries including blunt abdominal trauma in a motor cycle accident. Five months following the accident he developed a large bowel obstruction. Barium enema examination revealed a stricture of the sigmoid colon which, following surgical resection, was found to consist of a fibrous stenosis. The aetiology of such strictures following blunt abdominal trauma is likely to be a combination of mural haemorrhage and ischaemia.