Bladder injury in blunt pelvic trauma.

Clinical and radiologic findings in 97 patients with bladder injury secondary to blunt pelvic trauma were reviewed. Fifty-five patients had extraperitoneal bladder rupture; 35, intraperitoneal rupture; two, interstitial bladder injury; and five, combined intraperitoneal and extraperitoneal bladder rupture. Of the 61 of 97 patients with film studies available for review, two patients with surgically proved intraperitoneal rupture had false-negative cystograms. In two other cases of intraperitoneal rupture, the diagnosis was established with cystography but was not demonstrated with urography. All cases of extraperitoneal rupture were demonstrated cystographically; in 15 cases in this group, the injury was complex, with extravasation of contrast material beyond the confines of the perivesical space. In two additional patients, incomplete bladder injury termed "interstitial bladder rupture" was identified. A classification of bladder injury based on cystographic patterns of extravasation is proposed.