Morel-Lavallée syndrome

Abstract 

The syndrome described by Morel-Lavallée in 1848 [1, 7] has not been the topic of many publications or studies. This syndrome is defined as a soft tissue injury consisting of a closed internal degloving of the subcutaneous tissue creating a cavity filled by bloody serous liquid. This syndrome is usually not recognized by general or orthopedic surgeons and is therefore frequently missed or diagnosed late. In the literature, sporadic cases have been reported without a clear etiopathogenic explanation. Two cases are presented leading to an etiopathogenic hypothesis based on histological, radiological, and clinical findings.