Abstract

Background
Traumatic rupture of the aorta is a life-threatening injury that must be diagnosed as rapidly as possible and treated immediately. The chest X-ray is a valuable tool for screening traumatic rupture of the aorta in blunt chest trauma. And various chest radiologic parameters are being used as diagnostic tools for aortic injury. The purpose of this study is to identify chest radiographic parameters that may assist in the detection of traumatic rupture of the aorta and to compare these findings with those of other reports. Methods: This study involved 30 adult patients with traumatic rupture of the aorta seen at the emergency department of the Asan Medical Center from 1997 to 2004. The control subjects were 30 healthy patients with neither lung nor cardiovascular disease. We retrospectively assessed over 14 parameters on chest X-rays. Results: In 11 of the 14 parameters, there were significant differences between the study group and the control group. There was no significant difference in the M/C ratio (mediastinumto-chest width ratio) between the two groups, and neither the left nor the right paraspinal interface was statistically significant (p value>0.05). Our study indicates that new criteria for the MC ratio and for the paraspinal interfaces are needed for screening traumatic aorta injury. The other radiographic parameters for traumatic rupture of the aorta need to be further assessed through a prospective study.

• Keywords: Trauma, Aortic rupture, Radiography, Mediastinum, Hemorrhage