title: Traumatic aortic injury: computerized tomographic findings at presentation and after conservative therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the computerized tomographic (CT) findings in traumatic aortic injury (TAI) at presentation and after conservative management.
  
  
  METHODS
  Institutional review board-approved retrospective review of trauma registry during a 6-year period identified class 1 or 2 trauma patients with TAI. The CT findings were correlated with patient outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-eight of 3350 patients had TAI. Seven had TAI limited to the abdominal aorta. Twenty-nine of 48 had early (12) or delayed (17) aortic repair. Common abnormalities were pseudoaneurysms (69%) and intramural hematoma (IMH) (65%). Forty-one of 48 TAI were confirmed on endovascular imaging or surgery. Subsequent CT was available in those who had delayed repair (n = 9) or conservative management (10) and showed stable pseudoaneurysms with resolving IMH (n = 11), resolving IMH (n = 4), intimal flap (n = 2), aortic thrombus (n = 1), and dissection (n = 1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Traumatic aortic injury is rare. It commonly involves thoracic aorta with pseudoaneurysm and IMH. Significant TAI in stable patients remains stable on follow-up imaging. Minor TAI may resolve with conservative therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aladham
authors.forename: Baskaran
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sundaram
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Leslie E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Quint
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017541:Aneurysm, False / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001027:Aortography / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006406:Hematoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed