title: Diaphragmatic rupture: a frequently missed injury in blunt thoracoabdominal trauma patients.
abstract: In the US and Western Europe, trauma is the fourth most common cause of death and the leading cause of death in the population less than 45 years of age [Mullinix and Foley, J Comput Assist Tomogr 28(Suppl 1):S20-S27, 2004]. Diaphragmatic injuries occur in 0.8 to 8% of patients after blunt trauma (Gray H, The muscles of the thorax. Anatomy of the human body. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, 1918) and may be a predictor of severity of injury in the blunt trauma patient [Worthy et al., Radiology 194(3):885-888, 1995]. The clinical diagnosis of diaphragmatic rupture (DR) is difficult and is missed in anywhere from 7 to 66% of patients [Cantwell, Radiology 238(2):752-753, 2006]. The accurate diagnosis and prognosis of this pathology depend on a complete knowledge of the clinical and radiological presentation. Computed tomography is the imaging modality of choice in the assessment of patients with clinical or radiographic findings suggestive of DR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, LSUHSC-S, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA 71130, USA. gsangs@lsuhsc.edu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sangster
authors.forename: V Prieto
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carbo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gates
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garayburu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003964:Diaphragm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000293:injuries*; D006801:Humans; D012421:Rupture / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*