TRAUMATIC DISRUPTION OF THE THORACIC AORTA - A RATIONAL APPROACH TO IMAGING

An imaging strategy is crucial in patients who have sustained a trauma tic disruption of the thoracic aorta. Of those who reach hospital aliv e, 70-90 per cent will survive if diagnosed early and treated appropri ately. The clinician has many imaging techniques to choose from, hut t he!! vary considerably in their degree of accuracy and performance tim e. Consequently their appropriateness is dependent on the type of inju ry suspected, the haemodynamic stability of the patient and the availa bility and experience of the radiologists. This article describes the types and presentation of traumatic thoracic aortic disruption so that the advantages and disadvantages of the various imaging modalities ca n be explained. It concludes by presenting an imaging strategy for use when this condition is suspected. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.