ABSTRACT
We report a case of a 56-year-old man with traumatic aortic rupture (TAR) sustained in a motor vehicle accident diagnosed by helical computed tomography, aortography, and transesophageal echocardiography. A large majority of patients with TAR never make it to the hospital, and for those who do, a timely diagnosis is critical for survival. We discuss the merits and pitfalls of the three imaging modalities.
Subject(s)
Aortic Rupture/diagnosis , Aortography , Echocardiography, Transesophageal , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Accidents, Traffic , Aneurysm, False/diagnosis , Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic/diagnosis , Aortic Rupture/diagnostic imaging , Aortic Rupture/surgery , Contusions/diagnosis , Hemothorax/diagnosis , Humans , Lung Injury , Male , Middle Aged , Rib Fractures/diagnosis , Thoracic Surgical ProceduresABSTRACT
We report the case of a 61-year-old female, who presented with a history of chronic fatigue, dyspnea on exertion, a widened mediastinum with tracheal deviation on chest X-ray, and a neck mass. After a diagnostic workup, the patient was found to have a paratracheal mass extending into the chest in addition to a 6.5 cm ascending aortic aneurysm with aortic insufficiency, and a 70% stenosis of the right coronary artery. She underwent successful resection of a substernal goiter via a neck incision facilitated by a previously performed sternotomy for a concomitant ascending aortic root replacement and a bypass utilizing the RIMA to the distal RCA.
