MULTIDETECTOR COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IN BLUNT CHEST TRAUMA SINGLE TERTIARY CARE TRAUMA CENTRE EXPERIENCE.

ABSTRACT

Thoracic injuries are significant causes of morbidity and mortality in trauma patients, second only to head injuries. In addition to conventional radiography, multidetector computed tomography (CT) is increasingly being used, since it can quickly and accurately help diagnose a wide variety of injuries in trauma patients. Furthermore, multiplanar and MiNIP, volumetric reformatted CT images provide improved visualization of injuries, increased understanding of trauma-related diseases, and enhanced communication between the radiologist and the referring clinician. To identify and accurately a Aims: ssess variety of injuries in blunt thoracic trauma with multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT). To find commonest pattern of intrathoracic injury related to blunt chest trauma. This Method: retrospective observational study included 50 patients who underwent Multidetector CT examination during the period from November 2020 to April 2021 at tertiary care trauma centre, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital, Mumbai. Blunt chest Conclusion: trauma injuries were classified into pleural injury, lung parenchymal injury, bony thorax, tracheobronchial and vascular injuries. The commonest injury detected was pleural (70%) followed by lung parenchymal injury (52%) and bony thorax injury in 50% cases. 50% of the pleural injury cases were associated with rib fractures. Multiple injuries were seen in the 47 patients, stating the importance of a detail evaluation of all chest components. No oesophageal and cardiac injury was detected in our CT studies' with its multiplanar, MinIP and volume reconstruction images increases the confidence in imaging diagnosis and play a critical role in understanding thoracic trauma related complications.