title: Complex, traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta in a child: diagnostic findings and delayed surgery.
abstract: We report the unusual case of a 4-year-old girl with traumatic aortic rupture. A conventional chest X-ray showed an enlarged mediastinum. Spiral CT and transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated a mediastinal hematoma, bilateral pleural effusion, and a rupture of the aortic arch. Semi-elective surgery, 4 days after the accident, confirmed rupture of the aortic arch with dislocation of the left carotid artery and the Ductus of Botalli. The vessels were subsequently repaired without complication. After a follow-up of 10 months, the child has fully recovered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, DRNN, Inselspital, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse, 3010 Bern, Switzerland. tanja.doernhoefer@insel.ch
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dörnhöfer
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Dinkel
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carrel
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pfammatter
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vock
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006406:Hematoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000175:diagnosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed