In this series the stomach was involved in 8% of patients undergoing surgical exploration for abdominal injuries (most commonly by penetrating trauma). The stomach has strong walls and these are not torn by blunt trauma unless it is severe. Such trauma commonly involves adjacent vascular organs such as the liver, spleen and pancreas, resulting in dangerous haemorrhage. Careful search of both walls of the stomach and the diaphragm, especially after penetrating blunt trauma, is mandatory if complications are to be avoided. The mortality in this series was mostly caused by associated injuries.