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Review
. 2023 Apr 17;12(8):2903.
doi: 10.3390/jcm12082903.

Blunt Thoracic Aortic Injury

Daniela Mazzaccaro  1 , Paolo Righini  1 , Fabiana Fancoli  1 , Matteo Giannetta  1 , Alfredo Modafferi  1 , Giovanni Malacrida  1 , Giovanni Nano  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Blunt Thoracic Aortic Injury

Daniela Mazzaccaro et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI) is a potentially fatal condition that needs prompt recognition and expedited management. Clinical manifestations of BTAI are not straight forwarding and may be misdiagnosed. The grade of aortic injury is an important determinant of perioperative mortality and morbidity, as well as the indication of treatment, along with the presence of concomitant lesions of other involved organs. The mainstay of treatment nowadays for hemodynamically stable patients who survive the trauma scene is represented by delayed endovascular repair whenever anatomically and clinically feasible. Endovascular repair, in fact, is burdened by lower perioperative mortality and morbidity rates if compared to open surgical repair, but concerns remain about the need for long-term surveillance and radiation exposure in patients who are at a younger age than patients treated for the aneurysmal disease. The aim of the paper is to provide an update on the diagnostic modalities and strategies of treatment for patients affected by BTAI.

Keywords: aortic; blunt injury; endovascular; thoracic; trauma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Angio-Computed Tomography chest scan of a patient with BTAI at isthmus, causing intimal tear (red arrow) in axial (on the left) and sagittal (on the right) views.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Transesophageal echocardiography showing the presence of an intimal flap (red arrow).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Grade of aortic injuries.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The Conformable GORE TAG® (C-TAG) thoracic stent graft (W. L. Gore & Associates, Flagstaff, AZ, USA) on the left side (A), and the Medtronic Valiant Captivia™ (Medtronic Inc., Santa Rosa, CA, USA) on the right side (B).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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