Morel-Lavallee Lesion of the Lower Back Mimicking an Abscess: A Case Report

Sandra de Montbrun, Korosh Khalili, Steven MacLellan, Alexandra Easson

Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

DOI: 10.4236/ss.2012.34041                

Abstract

A closed degloving injury, or Morel-Lavallee lesion, is the result of a severe, traumatic, shearing injury, causing separation of the skin and subcutaneous tissue from the underlying deep fascia. Though well described in the orthopedic trauma literature, this lesion is not well recognized by the general surgeon in the poly-trauma setting. We present a case of a 41 year old man who was referred to the general surgery service for a “back abscess”. Upon patient interview, history of a recent motor vehicle collision (MVC) was obtained, including a pelvic fracture. Imaging demonstrated a large Morel-Lavellee lesion extending from the pelvis into the lower back. Knowledge of this entity is crucial to avoid unnecessary procedures in the management of these patients.

Keywords

Closed Degloving Injury; Morel-Lavallee Lesion; Trauma; Case Report

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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