Duodenal Trauma in Children: What is the Status of Non-Operative Conservative Treatment?

Conservative treatment of duodenal trauma in children has long been the first line of treatment for duodenal wall hematomas. However, it has rarely been described in duodenal perforations. Our purpose is to highlight the possibility of conservative treatment in selected cases of duodenal perforation. In the period between 2009 and 2022, 6 children were treated for duodenal injury following abdominal blunt trauma in the pediatric surgical emergency department. The clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment are reported and analyzed. Three patients presented with duodenal hematomas, they were treated non-operatively with hospital stays between 12 and 20 days and good clinical outcome. One child presented with duodenal hematoma and retroperitoneal air bubbles; non-operative conservative treatment was carried with favorable results. The fifth patient had a duodenal perforation; he underwent a primary duodenal 2-layers closure. The last patient had a combination of duodenal hematoma and perforation involving 75% of the duodenal diameter for which he underwent a gastro-jejunostomy with pyloric exclusion. An isolated duodenal lesion can be subject to a conservative treatment whenever allowed by a stable clinical condition and the availability of appropriate clinical and radiological monitoring.