Ruptured Aorta

This is probably one of the most common reasons CT chest is obtained on trauma patients in the US - NOT TO MISS A VASCULAR INJURY.

This patient, indeed, ended up having aortic injury (circled on the upper image above) after a high speed motor vehicle crash.

His chest XR on presentation revealed the infamous “wide mediastinum” (bottom image) for which trauma surgeon had no choice but to get a CT angio of the chest. And good thing he did.

The patient required thoracotomy and ruptured aorta repair after which he did Ok.