title: Blunt traumatic injury of the ascending aorta: multidetector CT findings in two cases.
abstract: Blunt ascending aortic injuries are rare in clinical practice. We have encountered two types of injuries to the ascending aorta with multidetector computed tomography: (1) a tear of the wall of the aortic root with a contained rupture and associated hemopericardium and (2) a tear at the level of the aortic valve cusp without associated hemopericardium. In reviewing our experience with aortic trauma at our institution under IRB waiver of consent, we encountered two cases of ascending aortic rupture that illustrate the two injury patterns. We present these two cases to alert radiologists to the multidetector computed tomographic findings of this life-threatening injury.
authors.affiliation: Department Radiology, Medical University of South Carolina, 169 Ashley Ave, Box 250322, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
authors.forename: Scott D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Steenburg
authors.forename: James G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ravenel
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ikonomidis
mesh_terms: D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*