Missed and mismanaged: severe consequences of Morel Lavallee lesions—a case series
Abstract
Abstract Morel-Lavallée lesions (MLLs) are rare soft tissue injuries that, when missed or mismanaged, can lead to serious complications. This retrospective case series analyzed seven male patients (aged 26–64) who sustained MLLs from high-velocity trauma. Initial management, often limited to aspiration, failed in most cases, leading to delayed surgical intervention (mean 25.7 days post-injury) and an average of 2.6 surgeries per patient. Complications included skin necrosis (n = 5), grafting (n = 4), and infection in all cases, most commonly Staphylococcus aureus. One patient died from cardiogenic and septic shock. These findings highlight that delayed recognition and conservative treatment often result in prolonged morbidity, whereas early surgical debridement and proper closure may significantly improve outcomes.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case series, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
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