IMAGING OF THORACIC TRAUMA

Blunt trauma to the chest results from the transfer of kinetic energy to the human body. It may cause a wide range of mostly life-threatenin g injuries, including fractures of the thoracic skeleton, disintegrati on of the pleural space, contusion or laceration of pulmonary parenchy ma and damage to the mediastinal structures. For a systematic approach it may be helpful to follow an organ-based evaluation of thoracic tra uma. However, it should be borne in mind that subtle injuries may be a ssociated with serious complications. Trauma to the chest may affect d ifferent anatomic compartments at the same time, requiring an extendin g diagnostic approach. Conventional radiography plays a major role in diagnosing thoracic trauma, complemented by ultrasound examination of the pleura and abdomen. It is well documented that CT scanning represe nts a major technological improvement for assessment of thoracic traum a. With the advent of fast helical CT scanning this method becomes mor e applicable for severely traumatized patients and potentially replace s other time-consuming procedures. State-of-the-art imaging of both pr ojection and cross-sectional techniques provides useful information fo r immediate and appropriate treatment mandatory in patients with thora cic trauma.