“The Morel-Lavallee lesion clinically presents as a painful fluctuant swelling at the site of involvement. Concerning the recent literature available, this lesion is also termed as Morel-Lavallée seroma, posttraumatic soft tissue cyst, post-traumatic extravasation, or Morel-Lavallée effusion. This lesion may be missed at the time of initial assessment and can present later, potentially leading to increasing difficulty in management and long-term morbidity.”

“The most common causes of Morel-Lavallee lesions are high-velocity trauma, crush injuries, and blunt trauma. Overall, approximately twenty-five percent of all patients who develop Morel-Lavallee lesions have been involved in a road traffic accident. This lesion is commonly associated with underlying fractures, especially of the proximal femur, pelvis, and acetabulum. One of the most commonly involved regions is the greater trochanter, accounting for more than sixty percent of the cases”

“At present, no specific guidelines are mentioned in the current literature regarding the management of Morel-Lavallee lesions. Multiple low evidence studies show variable results of multiple treatment modalities, including conservative management, sclerodesis, percutaneous aspiration, and open surgery.”

“The common differential diagnosis of the Morel-Lavallee lesion includes post-operative seroma, coagulopathy-related hematoma, post-traumatic injuries like fat necrosis, and rarely, post-traumatic early-stage myositis ossificans with diffuse subcutaneous edema. Postoperative seroma holds various pathological similarities with it. As the Morel-Lavallee lesion can clinically, pathologically, and radiographically simulate multiple possible conditions, a prior history of trauma can play a pivotal role in reaching the diagnosis.”

Agrawal U, Tiwari V. Morel Lavallee Lesion. [Updated 2023 Aug 3]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-.