Imaging of Cardiac Trauma

Abstract

Cardiac trauma carries high mortality rates and should be considered in all patients presenting with chest trauma. These patients can have a wide range of clinical presentations, from being asymptomatic to being in hemodynamic collapse. Currently, multidetector computed tomography is the gold-standard diagnostic imaging modality for all patients with abnormal electrocardiogram and/or Troponin I levels following chest trauma. In this article, we discuss pathophysiology of cardiac trauma, review the role of medical imaging, and present the spectrum of abnormal findings in traumatic cardiac injuries.

Keywords: Ascending aortic injury; Cardiac trauma; Coronary artery injury; Emergency and trauma radiology; Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT); Pericardial/myocardial injury; Pulmonary trunk injury.