Detection of aortic tear in the acute trauma patient using MRI.
Traumatic aortic tears are life threatening and, therefore, need to be evaluated urgently. Typically, a thoracic aortogram is conducted; however, aortography occasionally demonstrates nonspecific abnormalities. These equivocal examinations can lead to unnecessary thoracotomies, or repeated angiography and catastrophic delays in aortic repair. We report a case in which magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was very useful in the diagnosis of aortic tear.
Department of Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510.
S M
SM
Cohn
J S
JS
Pollak
S
S
McCarthy
L C
LC
Degutis
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D001027:Aortography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging