Morel-Lavallee’ Lesions

Hi there... does anyone have any experience with Morel-Lavallee’ Lesions? As I understand it (I've a PhD in Neuroscience, so I'm fairly well-versed in physiology) it's basically a hematoma that becomes encapsulated and requires surgical excision. Draining does not work.

I had a spill a few weeks ago... I came down on my thigh and developed a grapefruit-sized hematoma within an hour. I went to the ER (urgent care closed, of course) because it was getting so big that I couldn't straighten my leg, and it started looking a little scary as a candidate for compartment syndrome. At the ER I got a compression bandage and some really lame ice-packs (too well-insulated to be of any real use), advised to R.I.C.E. it (no duh) and sent home (which is exactly what I figured would happen, but it was probably a good idea anyway). Within a few days it looked like someone splashed purple paint down my entire leg, but the hematoma is still a big lump two weeks post-injury and I'm concerned about healing progression and complications. I'm sure that there are a lot of you who've had a post-crash hematoma on the outer thigh, and I guess I'm looking for a reality-check. If you have ANY experience, insight or advice, PLEASE post!

MLL is considered a rare phenomenon, but the nature of cycling makes it far more common amongst cyclists than other groups. Most physicians have never heard of it, so I think it behooves the cycling community to be aware of it. MLL is a surgical condition, and it can save a lot of time and pain for this injury to be treated appropriately from the beginning. I believe that imaging is required for diagnosis, so maybe it's not a bad idea to get that CT or MRI for a hematoma that isn't resolving. If nothing else, I hope that this will spread some awareness.

Thanks, everybody. Have fun and be safe!