CT in Aortic Injury

Critical evaluation of chest computed tomography scans for blunt descending thoracic aortic injury.

"Although aortography has been the long-held "gold standard" for diagnosis of traumatic blunt aortic injury, advances in imaging technology offer less-invasive, more-rapid, and potentially more cost-effective evaluation. Chest CT is an acceptable screening tool based on prerequisite high sensitivity and ease of performance in the trauma patient suspected of having a descending thoracic aortic injury. Three-dimensional software reconstruction of the aorta can aid in diagnosing blunt aortic injury when findings are equivocal, but there will continue to be artifacts and limitations that require aortography for clarification."

Reference- Ann Thorac Surg 2006 Apr;81(4):1339-46.