[Ultrasound scanning of abdominal contusions in children: experience at the Yopougon CHU (Ivory Coast)].

Ultrasound scans were used to study 23 cases of abdominal contusion in children, between January 1992 and December 1993. Thirteen boys and 10 girls were studied. They were all aged between 4 and 14 years, with a mean age of 6 years. The main causes of their injuries were road accidents (12 cases) and play (11 cases). Ultrasound scans were normal in 6 patients and pathological in 17 patients. The most frequently observed injuries were visceral effects (12 cases), almost always associated with hemoperitoneum. In three cases, hemoperitoneum was detected in the absence of visceral effects. The spleen (4 cases) and the liver (4 cases) were the most frequently injured organs. The other injuries detected included renal hematoma, bladder rupture and parietal hematoma. Diagnosis on the basis of ultrasound scans was found to be incorrect in three cases where diagnosis was repeated after the scan. One case involved a blocked perforation of the rectum, one a benign cyst and the other a mesenteric cyst. Despite these misdiagnoses, ultrasound scanning is a highly sensitive and specific method for examination of contusions in children. It is very useful and often sufficient for accurate diagnosis, particularly in units with only modest technical support.