Multi-detector computed tomography imaging of blunt chest trauma

Background and purpose: Chest trauma is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity, especially in the younger population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) in the assessment of patients with blunt chest trauma. Patients and methods: A prospective study was conducted on thirty (30) patients with blunt chest trauma (21 males and 9 females, aged from 6 to 62 years) and 29 control patients presented with any trauma other than blunt chest trauma (23 males and 6 females, aged from 10 to 68 years) at the Emergency Department, Tanta University Hospital, from January 2013 to February 2014. Cases were subjected to clinical evaluation and radiological assessment of the chest using conventional chest X-ray (CXR) and multi-detector computed tomography. Results: The most common mode of injury was motor vehicle accidents (56.7%). On MDCT scan, the frequency of chest injuries were; chest wall injuries (86.7%), pleural injuries (80%), parenchymal injuries (56.7%), mediastinal injuries (30%) and finally the dorsal spine injuries (16.7%). MDCT is more sensitive, specific, and accurate than CXR in the assessment of blunt chest trauma and management of patients. Conclusion: MDCT is the modality of choice for rapid assessment of emergency chest trauma patients, when chest X-ray was inconclusive.