[Ultrasound diagnosis following blunt abdominal trauma. Sonography in acute and follow-up diagnosis].

Experience with ultrasonography as a non-invasive imaging procedure for acute and follow-up diagnostic evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma was analysed in a retrospective study. Between 1980 and 1988, more than 2,000 ultrasonographic investigations were performed for blunt abdominal trauma; 246 patients were laparotomized. Retrospectively, false results based on ultrasonography were less than 1% of all cases, so that the sole use of ultrasonographic diagnosis and the non-use of peritoneal lavage seems justified in cases of blunt abdominal trauma. A number of figures illustrate typical cases.