Morel Lesion

[mitch2]

I have developed a morel lesion following a bad bike crash 6 mo ago. Has anyone ever had the
surgery of debriding this type of lesion? I cannot find much on the net it seems to be somewhat rare.
I cant find anything on recovery time, complications, etc.
Thank you
Mitch

[LLBaker]

Add me to the list.. head on accident with broken bones & a mild morrel inside lft thigh and worse one on right inside thigh... swelling down but still painful like really bad bruises.  Was told same things...anyone get good treatments yet?

[rnagc]

I have one of these lesions on my right outer thigh. I had a very bad car accident which was the cause. for months I had a big area that  stuck out on my thigh. one night about a month after my accident through one of the punctures to my leg from the wreck, about a liter of fluid poured out of my leg. it got much much smaller. I told my ortho doctor and he said they didnt want to open it because it could cause infection and they usually go away anyway.  I was never told to use compression but I found at first it helped with pain. then a couple weeks later I noticed it was refilling. my leg got large again. I started having sharp pains in that area that I described as nerve pain and bee stings. I called my doctor when the pain got to be too much. next step was surgery which he said would be a large opening they would close using a wound vac. Most people had never heard of these lesions at the hospital so there was a lot of confusion on how to manage it.  I had my surgery a little over a month ago. I was in the hospital for 27 days for pain management and infection.  I went home with my vac and a picc line. My doctor said my lesion was massive, the biggest they have ever seen. the incision was about 9.5 inches long and very very deep. I had to also stay in the hospital to be sedated for my vac changes because they are excruciating.  They had to go in 3 different times to cut it open while I was in the hospital due to infection, swelling, and more fluid collection.  Now that I am home I dont notice any new collection but it still hurts with a lot of movement and vac changes.

[Jck80]

I sustained an injury to my upper arm 4 weeks ago which has resulted in one of these lesions. I've been fed up with everything about it since the beginning, seriously no one can give me a straight answer. It seems like the fluid is going down but I'm noticing small hard lumps around the area. Did you experience that at all? It burns like fire around the sac of fluid but the sac itself is numb. I'm so tired of this and the lack of knowledge about it.

[TMaschino]

Hi, did you get your Morel-Lavallee Lesion taking care of?

[rnagc]

Yes I too had hard knot like areas. I still have one but it no longer hurts. I am now 2 years out from my surgery and I still get stinging pain bit very seldom. The scar is massive and I have a huge chunk missing from my leg. I wore my wound vac for 4 months and it finally completely healed and was closed after about 6 months.

[TMaschino]

Yes, I have being trying to find others who have went through the destruction of a Morel-Lavallee Lesion.
Mine was massive also. Mine happened July 2017 but was not discovered until Oct 2017.It was in my outer right thigh into my hip and buttocks by then.  13 surgeries and March of 2018 mine finally sealed. I have so many questions and no one knows anything. I lost so much of my thigh and muscle in those areas. Part of my thigh is skin to bone. I was told I would never be 100% again and always have the chance of it coming back. I still can not walk correctly. I wish I knew what to expect!

[rnagc]

From what I have read, it takes a long time for those layers to heal and become strong again. Any trauma to the area can cause the layers to separate again and start to refill with fluid. That is why most treatments involve wrapping or compression garments to the area. It is frustrating, the what its and how longs... most do not get surgical treatment so I suppose that is why there are no real long term explanations... but I am not sure. Yours sounds much worse than mine, I do not have skin to bone areas like you.

[Jeffrn]

I have one on my right hip after a fall this past jan of 2019. I just had a surgical procedure to place a wound vac a week ago. How did yours turn out

[Nmarquette]

Hello. Almost a year ago, I too, was diagnosed with a Morel Lavelle leision on my left gluteus Minimus following a motorcycle accident. My diagonosis was discovered early on, which I understand to be key in treatment. However the treatment offered was minimal, suggesting that compression bandages you reduce the fluid retention and eventually go away on its own. I have since been following my care with my PCP who has no knowledge of this condition and has no suggestions for possible treatment. I was recently referred to a general surgeon after a US of the area, only to be informed that he could not treat the leison. The literature avaiable online is alarming. I am extremly worried about possible life long complications and the idea of surgery. Has anyone in this forum had and sucessful conserative treatment or an I and D to treat this leision?

[Jeffrn]

I am currently in the hospital for an I and D for this condition. I am one week post op  with a wound vac and its been a very trying ordeal to say the least. I know it has been a few years since your post but if you could fill me in on how you managed i would be grateful. My email  is ***@****

[foxie450]

Hi, wondering how you have gotten on with your lesion. I have one and am very worried about it.

[foxie450]

Hi, I have been diagnosed as having one of the lesions. Mine is huge and on the inner thigh. It is nine weeks since it happened and was told it was a hematoma and it would go away. I am trying to get in to see a surgeon to get it fixed. The last three days have been getting sharp stinging pain behind my knee. Very scared and worried. Have you had any success? I am in Australia also.

[TuesMorn]

greetings Rachel! i was involved in motorcycle crash 6months ago...after months of being told i had a hemotoma on my right upper hip/thigh and draining not an option, due to possible infection...I went to a new GP by order of my surgeon, and two weeks ago she ordered me to have it drained. Today was two weeks since, it is now been diagnosed(after much pain, fluid refilling and a much larger area of fluid retention) that I  have a Morel Lavallee and i must have surgery. I am so confused as to the right/wrong about all of this and needless to say unhappy and overwhelmed about the prognosis. Hope things worked there way through for you, hoping you see this and we can communicate..SO very difficult to find much online about this! Best Wishes, Tuesday

[RChel]

Hi,
Just wondering what the outcome was for you kheart?
I have also been run over by car, and have Morel Lavallee of my thigh. Drs here in Australia have been nothing short of useless an have only advised compression bandage. It has reduced over last 9 weeks but still painful, hollow and heavy. Lower leg has multiple fractures but escaped any of upper femur. Just have not found any information about conservative treatments online. Does exercise improve it?
Rachel

[kheart]

I know it has been a couple years from your post but I am having issues with the morel I have on my thigh after a serious pelvic accident last year. I used compression for about 5 months after the accident to reduce the size and when it was not noticeable I stopped. It has now been 13 month from my accident and I woke up with a lot of pain and swelling in my morel. I had a pretty bad cold last week and I am not sure if they are related. Does anyone know what can be causing the sudden inflammation and severe pain?

[jls400ex]

I need help... I keep getting dead end answers from doctors.
I have a LARGE Morel-Lavallee Lesion on my inner knee for 2 months since a accident, where my leg was ran over.

If anyone still reads/answers to this blog let me know... thanks.

[sonu78]

Hi,
A Morel-Lavallée lesion is a closed degloving injury associated with severe trauma to the pelvis. It presents as a hemolymphatic mass located over the external aspect of the thigh. Since Morel-Lavallée first described the lesion in the 19th century, the term has been used to describe similar lesions in other anatomic sites such as the lumbar area and over the scapula. The mechanism of the injury is a sudden violent shear stress to the anterolateral thigh.
The options for management may range from conservative approach to surgical approach.
Injury to the subcutaneous fatty tissue can result in the formation of a pseudocyst due to lymphatic extravasations.