[Five years of renal trauma in a paediatric trauma center: new tools in the diagnostic and therapeutic process].

INTRODUCTION: There is general agreement in the conservative management of most renal traumas, but questions like the role of angiography are still controversial. Our objective is to review the paediatric renal trauma characteristics, propose a therapeutic protocol and suggest new therapeutic tools. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective review of clinical records (epidemiology, diagnostic methods, renal injury grade according to the AAST Organ Injury Scale, treatment and follow up) of the paediatric renal injuries at Vail d'Hebron Hospital in the last 5 years. Outline of a diagnostic-therapeutic protocol consistent with the literature. RESULTS: Since 2001, 18 cases of paediatric renal trauma have been diagnosed. Median of age was 10 years (range 2-17). Renal injury grade was: I (4), II (5), III (4), IV (4), V (1). Main mechanisms of injury were car and motorcicle accidents (4), fall (3), bicycle (3) and sports (3). There were different severity associated injuries in 10 patients. Abdominal exploration was normal in 6 cases, and in 5 (including the grade V injury) hematuria was absent or was microscopic. Mean hematocrit and hemoglobine were 34.5% y 11.8 g/dl. Abdominal CT was performed in all cases, detecting injuries that were unnoticed with ultrasound exploration. Complications were: renal artery pseudoaneurism (1), urinoma (1), uretero-pelvic joint disruption (1), arterial hypertension (3), renal colic (1). Management was: conservative in 13 cases, angiography in 4 (2 embolizations of bleeding vessels, 1 pseudoaneurism embolization, 1 placement of endovascular stents in an injury of the arterial intima), delayed surgery in 2 (1 nefrectomy, 1 uretero-pyeloplasty). All of them received prophylactic antibiotics; 10 had self-limited fever with negative cultures. Only in 2 cases DMSA at 6 months was inferior to 20%. There were no deaths. CONCLUSIONS: In paediatric patients, there can be severe renal injuries despite absence of hematuria and a normal physical exam and hemogram. Abdominal CT with endovenous contrast is the keystone of diagnosis, and identifies vascular injuries that might need immediate treatment, like renal ischemia. Angiography is an important tool to consider in case of persistent bleeding or renal infarctation.