Blunt traumatic rupture of the right atrium and the right superior pulmonary vein

Blunt trauma to the chest may produce a spectrum of cardiac lesions extending from asymptomatic myocardial contusion to rapidly fatal cardiac rupture. A case is discussed in which a patient with signs of cardiac tamponade after blunt trauma was found to have a rupture of the atrium. During repair of the cardiac injury, an unusual tear of the right superior pulmonary vein was also discovered. Both injuries were successfully repaired and the patient recovered.     

Traumatic pericardial rupture without cardiac injury

Pericardial rupture is a rare injury following blunt chest trauma. It is frequently fatal because of serious complications such as cardiac herniation and/or contusion. We report a case of traumatic pericardial rupture without cardiac injury, which was incidentally identified intraoperatively. A 63-year-old woman was transported to the hospital after sustaining blunt chest trauma from a motor vehicle accident. Radiographic workup demonstrated multiple fractures, pulmonary contusion, and hemopneumothorax. A chest tube was inserted, and persistent bleeding was observed. An exploratory thoracotomy was performed, and active pulmonary bleeding was controlled. Further exploration revealed major pericardial rupture without cardiac herniation or intrapericardial injury, which was repaired by a bovine pericardial patch. Her postoperative course was uneventful. It is usually difficult to make a diagnosis of pericardial rupture, and a misdiagnosis often leads to a fatal consequence. Therefore, an immediate surgical exploration is warranted if clinical and radiographic findings suggest the condition.     

Videothoracoscopic evaluation of thoracic injuries

Residual thoracic collections after thoracic traumas occur in 5-30% of patients and are a major risk factor for development of empyema. Management with a thoracostomy tube is the traditional treatment but it requires a prolonged hospital stay and 20% of patients treated continue to have a residual clot. Forty-two haemodynamically stable patients with chest trauma (36 blunt and 6 penetrating) were examined thoracoscopically. Indications for videothoracoscopy included suspected diaphragmatic injury (8 patients), persistent pneumothorax (8), continued haemorrhage (6) and clotted haemothorax (20). Diaphragmatic lacerations were confirmed thoracoscopically in 7 patients. Four of them were successfully repaired with thoracoscopic techniques and three were repaired after conversion to open thoracotomy for large diaphragmatic lacerations. In patients with persistent pneumothorax, limited lung lacerations were correctly diagnosed and repaired thoracoscopically. In all patients with continued haemorrhage intercostal artery injury was confirmed and repaired by diathermy. All clotted haemothorax cases were successfully evacuated. No complications occurred. Videothoracoscopy appears to be a safe, accurate and reliable operative therapy for the assessment of diaphragmatic injuries, control of continued bleeding and evacuation of clotted haemothorax, reducing the hospital stay and possible complications.     

Delayed presentation of diaphragmatic rupture as intra-thoracic gastric volvulus

Diaphragmatic injuries are quite rare and result from either blunt or penetrating trauma. They are not always recognized at the time of injury and there is often a delay between the trauma and the diagnosis The diagnosis is confirmed by chest X-ray, USG, CT Scan and barium studies This case report discusses the delayed presentation of diaphragmatic rupture as an intrathoracic gastric volvulus observed in a 36-year-old man.     

Spontaneous Tracheal Rupture: a Case Report

We report the case of a spontaneous posterior tracheal wall rupture following a cough. A 67-year-old woman with a history of longstanding treatment with corticosteroids (8 years) for Giant Cell Arteritis had general anesthesia for cataract removal. Surgery and anesthesia were uneventful. In the recovery room, the patient coughed and soon after developed subcutaneous emphysema of the neck. Chest radiography confirmed the clinical diagnosis of marked subcutaneous emphysema and showed huge pneumomediastinum and minor right pneumothorax. A thoracic CT scan revealed a large laceration of the posterior tracheal wall (a 4 cm longitudinal tear), extending from the middle of the trachea to the level of the carina. Surgical repair consisted in closure of the dilaceration using an autolo-gous pericardial patch.

It seems reasonable to suspect the facilitating role of connective tissue fragility due to chronic corticosteroid administration in the development of this tracheal rupture following cough. Tracheal rupture is a potentially lethal injury, which can be repaired successfully if the diagnosis is made early. Risk factors, diagnosis and principles of treatment of this lesion are discussed.     

Traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta.

Eleven patients with aortic rupture secondary to non-penetrating thoracic trauma, recent in four patients and of longer standing in seven, have been operated upon. Every patient with an acute injury had a widened mediastinum in the chest skiagram. The diagnosis of traumatic rupture was made by aortography in each case. The operative procedure involved cardiopulmonary bypass, left heart bypass or aorta to aorta bypass shunt. There was one postoperative death. It is recommended that in the acute stage a rupture of the aorta secondary to trauma should be repaired as soon as possible, while ruptures of long standing should be electively repaired.     

Laparoscopic management of a late-diagnosed major diaphragmatic rupture

A 20-year-old male patient was admitted to our emergency ward because of acute respiratory insufficiency following gastroscopy 2 years after a car accident. The chest radiograph showed migration of the stomach into the left hemithorax. A large diaphragmatic hernia was diagnosed and repaired laparoscopically using slowly resorbable sutures and patches. Diaphragmatic rupture secondary to blunt thoracic or abdominal trauma is a rare injury, whose diagnosis may be delayed. The majority of these defects are diagnosed during laparotomy performed for other major abdominal lesions. If diaphragmatic rupture is suspected, and no lesion of a parenchymatous organ has been diagnosed, there is a role for diagnostic laparoscopy. In the absence of other abdominal injuries, diaphragmatic rupture can be repaired by minimal-access surgery.     

Spontaneous tracheal rupture: a case report

We report the case of a spontaneous posterior tracheal wall rupture following a cough. A 67-year-old woman with a history of longstanding treatment with corticosteroids (8 years) for Giant Cell Arteritis had general anesthesia for cataract removal. Surgery and anesthesia were uneventful. In the recovery room, the patient coughed and soon after developed subcutaneous emphysema of the neck. Chest radiography confirmed the clinical diagnosis of marked subcutaneous emphysema and showed huge pneumomediastinum and minor right pneumothorax. A thoracic CT scan revealed a large laceration of the posterior tracheal wall (a 4 cm longitudinal tear), extending from the middle of the trachea to the level of the carina. Surgical repair consisted in closure of the dilaceration using an autologous pericardial patch. It seems reasonable to suspect the facilitating role of connective tissue fragility due to chronic corticosteroid administration in the development of this tracheal rupture following cough. Tracheal rupture is a potentially lethal injury, which can be repaired successfully if the diagnosis is made early. Risk factors, diagnosis and principles of treatment of this lesion are discussed.     

Treatment of 336 cases of chest trauma

Objective: To summarize the clinical features,diagnosis and treatment of chest trauma.Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted among 336 cases of chest trauma admitted to our hospital from Janua...     

TRAUMATIC RUPTURE OF THE THORACIC AORTA

Eleven patients with aortic rupture secondary to non-penetrating thoracic trauma, recent in four patients and of longer standing in seven, have been operated upon. Every patient with an acute injury had a widened medlastinum in the chest skiagram. The diagnosis of traumatic rupture was made by aortography in each case. The operative procedure involved cardiopulmonary bypass, left heart bypass or aorta to aorta bypass shunt. There was one postoperative death. It is recommended that in the acute stage a rupture of the aorta secondary to trauma should be repaired as soon as possible, while ruptures of long standing should be electively repaired.     

Tracheal inujry due to blunt chest trauma: a rare surgical emergency

Tracheal injury is a rare complication of blunt chest trauma. The patients usually present with signs of respiratory distress. Primary repair is the treatment of choice in case of large defects, while small tears can be managed conservatively. Immediate operation is recommended to improve deteriorating pulmonary function. The decrease in mortality and long-term morbidity depends on early diagnosis. We report a case of tracheal injury due to non-penetrating thoracic trauma which was successfully managed with surgery.     

Laparoscopy in the evaluation of the intrathoracic abdomen after penetrating injury.

Penetrating trauma to the intrathoracic abdomen is a difficult clinical problem, especially with reference to the detection of diaphragmatic injuries. A retrospective analysis of 657 laparotomies for penetrating abdominal trauma at our institution revealed 78 laparotomies with negative results. The majority (44.8%) were for wounds in the lower chest and upper abdomen. The role of laparoscopy in evaluating these difficult areas was studied in 40 (34 stab wounds and 6 gunshot injuries) patients. Fifteen stab wounds and five gunshot wounds were nonpenetrating. Laparoscopy revealed eight clinically unsuspected diaphragmatic lacerations in seven patients. Twenty patients had hemoperitoneum. Five patients with omental bleeding and abdominal wall bleeding and four with nonbleeding liver lacerations underwent nontherapeutic laparotomies. One patient with a nonbleeding liver laceration was observed successfully without laparotomy. Ten of the 20 patients with hemoperitoneum had therapeutic laparotomies. The incidence of diaphragmatic lesions discovered by laparoscopy in this series was comparable with that reported after a mandatory laparotomy for thoracoabdominal wounds. It is concluded that laparoscopy is an excellent modality for the evaluation of the intrathoracic abdomen and the diaphragm.     

A unique approach for a large intra-thoracic traumatic tracheo-oesophageal fistula: A case report from Syria

Introduction and importanceAcquired tracheo-oesophageal fistula (TOF) is a rare complication of intubation or traumas, either blunt or penetrating. In a penetrating chest trauma, the closure of TOF can be challenging and requires a unique technique. A flap can and intra-tracheal tube can also be used. We present this case to demonstrate a unique late presentation of TOF and the unique approach that was used.Case presentationA patient presented with a large TOF caused by shrapnel, and was surgically managed after two months of the injury by using a smaller intra-tracheal tube, and using an oesophageal wall flap to close the tracheal defect and intercostal muscle flap was used for the oesophageal wall repair. The postoperative intrathoracic oesophageal leak was successfully treated conservatively.Clinical discussionAlthough the surgery could not be conducted until 2 months after the injury, the approach used was successful and the patient was able to resume his normal life after the surgery. The flap from the oesophagus and intercostal muscles and using a smaller tracheal tube successfully repaired the TOF with minimum stress on the suterings, and the conservative approach for the leak was also successful.ConclusionTraumatic TOF management can be complicated, but we speculate that using a smaller tube with the conservative management of the complications was ideal for the TOF acquired from a shrapnel.     

Pneumoscrotum After Blunt Chest Trauma

Pneumoscrotum, the accumulation of air inside the scrotum, is a rare complication associated with blunt chest trauma. We report a case of severe subcutaneous emphysema, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, pneumopericardium, and pneumoscrotum after blunt chest trauma in a 44-year-old man. He presented with progressive swelling of the neck that descended to the chest, abdomen, both legs, and scrotum. Radiography and computed tomography of the chest and abdomen confirmed the diagnosis of a tracheal injury complicated by severe subcutaneous emphysema, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, pneumopericardium, and pneumoscrotum. Primary repair of the tracheal injury was performed, and he was weaned successfully from the ventilator by day 5. He was discharged on day 7.     

Subarachnoid-pleural and subarachnoid-mediastinal fistulae

Subarachnoid-pleural fistula and subarachnoid-mediastinal fistula are rare complications of chest trauma. One case each of subarachnoid-mediastinal fistula and subarachnoid-pleural fistula is described. Both patients were young children who suffered severe longitudinal distraction injuries to their thoracic spine and exhibited complete cord transection without radiographic evidence of vertebral column injury. Progressive mediastinal widening and enlarging pleural effusion in the absence of angiographic evidence of aortic injury suggested the diagnosis of an intrathoracic cerebrospinal fluid fistula. Myelograms identified the site of spinal cord rupture and cerebrospinal fluid leakage. The diagnosis, management, and outcome of these rare fistulae are discussed.     

Papillary muscle rupture and pericardial injuries after blunt chest trauma.

Non-penetrating cardiac trauma resulting in mitral valve rupture is uncommon, requiring a high degree of suspicion for diagnosis. Sudden and severe mitral regurgitation, unless surgically corrected rapidly lead to congestive heart failure and death. We report a patient with traumatic rupture of the antero-lateral papillary muscle of the mitral valve and pericardial injury, after a lateral blunt chest trauma, who successfully underwent emergency mitral valve replacement.     

Atrial septum rupture following blunt thoracic injury within the scope of polytrauma

Blunt thoracic trauma is a frequent diagnosis in polytraumatic patients, blunt cardiac trauma a rare finding. Severe cardiac injuries e.g. myocardial rupture normally result in immediate death of the patients. If patients survive a cardiac trauma, it often remains unrecognized. The interval between trauma and diagnosis of cardiac injury can make up several months up to years. This applies in particular for the traumatic atrial septal defect. A case report of a traumatic atrial septal defect with left to right shunting due to blunt thoracic trauma in a young man is presented. To our knowledge this is the second case of a successfully repaired traumatic atrial septal defect in literature. Problems regarding diagnosis of the less commonly observed blunt cardiac traumas are discussed.     

A new technique for complete intraluminal repair of iatrogenic posterior tracheal lacerations

Tracheal laceration is a rare complication of endotracheal intubation. Early surgical treatment is mandatory in cases of pneumomediastinum with difficulty in ventilation to prevent mediastinitis and stricture. Surgical access to the posterior tracheal wall is via a right posterolateral thoracotomy, transcervical tracheotomy or tracheostomy, each of which is associated with specific morbidities. We developed a new optical needle holder consisting of a 12° HOPKINS telescope in a fixed attachment with an endoscopic needle holder to allow for complete intraluminal repair of posterior tracheal wall lacerations. Four patients were admitted with an iatrogenic tracheal laceration due to emergency intubation. In all cases, the repair of the tracheal laceration started with the introduction of a 14-mm rigid tracheoscope and subsequent jet-ventilation. Three of the tears were successfully repaired endotracheally with a running suture. In one case, the repair had to be converted to an open closure via posterolateral thoracotomy. Two patients were discharged extubated for further treatment of their underlying diseases. One patient died from a third cardiac infarction two days after the tracheal repair. We think that an exclusively endoluminal repair of longitudinal tracheal lacerations is feasible. This repair has convincing advantages including little surgical trauma, lack of scars and diminished postoperative pain.     

Treatment of severe atrial injuries

Four cases of severe atrial trauma are presented. These cases are unusual because of the magnitude of injury and because of their presentation in hospitals not usually involved in cardiac surgery. Three of the patients had blunt atrial injury. We found only 21 other successfully treated blunt atrial tears in our search of the world's literature. In patients with blunt atrial injuries, the setting of a high speed vehicle accident, significant chest trauma, hypotension, mental confusion and increased venous pressure should alert the emergency physician to the possibility of cardiac rupture. The use of simple operative techniques and the knowledge that most cardiac ruptures repaired successfully involve the atrium may help the surgeon produce a successful outcome.     

Acute rupture of the diaphragm in blunt trauma: analysis of 60 patients

During a 9-year period, 60 patients with acutely ruptured diaphragms following blunt trauma were treated in our institution. Diaphragmatic injury was detected within 24 hours of hospital admission in all but two patients. The diagnosis was suggested by upright chest X-ray in 40% of the patients. Diaphragmatic tears were discovered at laparotomy for hemoperitoneum in the remaining patients. At initial evaluation hypotension was present in 67% of the patients, and respiratory distress was evident in 52%. In contrast to traditional teaching, there was a 30% incidence of right hemidiaphragmatic disruption. One patient experienced bilateral diaphragmatic rupture, and two had isolated tears of the pericardial diaphragm. Intra-abdominal organs were herniated through the diaphragmatic defect in only 32% of the patients. There was a 90% incidence of associated intra-abdominal injuries. The diaphragmatic tear was repaired via the abdomen in 53 patients, through a thoracoabdominal incision in five patients, and through the chest in only two cases. All defects were closed primarily. Twelve patients also required thoracotomy for resuscitation and/or correction of intrathoracic injury. Atelectasis was the most frequent postoperative complication, occurring in 65% of the patients. The mortality was 26.7% and was related to associated injuries in all cases.