title: Blunt trauma of the heart: CT pattern of atrial appendage ruptures.
abstract: Blunt trauma patients with myocardial ruptures rarely survive long enough to reach a trauma center; however, for the survivors, prompt diagnosis and surgery are mandatory and save up to 80% of patients. Preoperative diagnosis of myocardial ruptures is assessed by echocardiography or, more rarely, by angiocardiography. We report two cases of blunt trauma patients with an atrial appendage rupture which could be retrospectively identified on admission CT survey.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wintermark
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Delabays
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bettex
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schnyder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006341:Heart Rupture / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013536:Suture Techniques; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery