Posttraumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta.

Ten patients with traumatic lesions of the thoracic aorta were seen in a hospital. Most were victims of traffic accidents and presented severe associated lesions along with their vascular trauma. We found that the vascular injuries were clinically manifest in only a minority of patients. The remaining ruptures were discovered through CT-scanning of the mediastinum or angiography. We believe that in every major trauma victim aortic lesions should be actively sought for by complimentary examinations to guarantee maximum survival of the patients.