Publication

[Traumatic aortic rupture: diagnosis using biplanar transesophageal echocardiography]

Journal Paper/Review - Apr 1, 1995

Units
PubMed

Citation
Ritter M, Stocker R, Rickli H, Jakob M, von Segesser L, Jenni R. [Traumatic aortic rupture: diagnosis using biplanar transesophageal echocardiography]. Z Kardiol 1995; 84:323-6.
Type
Journal Paper/Review (Deutsch)
Journal
Z Kardiol 1995; 84
Publication Date
Apr 1, 1995
Issn Print
0300-5860
Pages
323-6
Brief description/objective

Acute aortic rupture is a typical consequence of severe blunt chest trauma often associated with rapid deceleration in car accidents. Initial diagnostic findings are often misleading and multiorgan injuries add to the diagnostic complexity; therefore, the natural history of acute rupture is usually fatal during the first 24 h after injury if left untreated. Prompt and simple diagnosis is, hence, of paramount importance for successful treatment of acute aortic rupture. Transesophageal echocardiography, particularly with a biplane or multiplane probe, currently represents the diagnostic tool of choice to meet these criteria; because of its high sensitivity and specificity transesophageal echocardiography will replace aortography as "gold standard" for diagnosis of acute aortic rupture. We report on a 47-year-old woman with severe blunt thoraco-abdominal trauma resulting from a car accident; at hospital admission abdominal injuries were predominant and diagnosis of an acute rupture of the descending thoracic aorta was made only about 18 h after admission using biplane transesophageal echocardiography. Emergency surgical revision confirmed the diagnosis of complete transsection of the descending thoracic aorta immediately after the origin of the left subclavian artery; the site of transsection was surrounded by a large hematoma. Despite successful reconstruction of the descending thoracic aorta by means of graft interposition, a recurrent local bleeding event lead to complete circulatory destabilization and, finally, to the death of the patient.