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A Rare Cause of Septic Shock Secondary to Trauma: Morel-Lavallée Lesion—Case Report

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Abstract

Morel-Lavallée lesion is a hemolymphatic collection in between muscular fascia that can be caused by the separation of soft tissue and muscular fascia in degloving fashion. Morel-Lavallée lesion is an infrequent lesion and can be mortal. It is a rare presentation that can cause life-threatening septic and hemorrhagic shock. Our patient, a 47-year-old male, arrived at the emergency department with an ambulance 1 h after a major road traffic accident. Apart from a right hemopneumothorax with multiple rib fractures, grade 2 laceration in the spleen and bilateral kidneys, and zone 2 fracture of sacrum, computer tomography (CT) revealed a closed, degloving injury of the pelvis, also known as a Morel-Lavallée lesion. On CT, the Morel-Lavallée lesion appeared as well-defined, encapsulated fluid collections that occasionally showed air-fluid levels. A heavy fluid collection was detected in the second CT, which was actually a collection of infected hematoma in the operative setting. The patient was diagnosed in the first 12 h and necrotic tissues were debrided. The patient was considered deceased after 15 days without any improvement in his GCS score. There is one report that describes mortality after the Morel-Lavallée lesion in the autopsy setting. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to decreasing the severity of necrosis and sepsis though our patient has deceased due to the complications of sepsis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Department of General Surgery, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Mehmet Gunay, Baran Mollavelıoglu, Ali Fuat Kaan Gok, Mehmet Ilhan & Cemalettın Ertekın

  2. Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Turgut Özal Millet Street, 34093 Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey

    Mehmet Gunay

Authors
  1. Mehmet Gunay
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  2. Baran Mollavelıoglu
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  3. Ali Fuat Kaan Gok
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  4. Mehmet Ilhan
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  5. Cemalettın Ertekın
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Contributions

Collecting data: Mehmet Gunay; writing and editing: Mehmet Gunay, Baran Mollavelıoglu, Ali Fuat Kaan Gok, Mehmet Ilhan, Cemalettın Ertekın.

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Correspondence to Mehmet Gunay.

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Gunay, M., Mollavelıoglu, B., Gok, A.F.K. et al. A Rare Cause of Septic Shock Secondary to Trauma: Morel-Lavallée Lesion—Case Report. SN Compr. Clin. Med. 4, 227 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42399-022-01314-x

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