title: Traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta: computed tomography may be a dangerous waste of time.
abstract: Traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta is a justifiably feared condition. Some authors have proposed the use of computed tomography as a non-invasive means of diagnosis. We report two cases where computed tomographic scans were misinterpreted, leading to erroneous diagnoses and inappropriate referrals. The pitfalls of using a cross-sectional imaging technique to diagnose a transverse lesion and the relative ease and accuracy of aortography are discussed.
authors.affiliation: St George's Hospital, London.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Unsworth-White
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Buckenham
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Treasure
mesh_terms: D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001027:Aortography; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006406:Hematoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008477:Mediastinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed