[Radiological diagnosis of closed trauma to the aorta (author's transl)]

Closed injury to the thoracic aorta at the isthmus occurred after street accidents in eight persons (five males, three females, aged 17-55 years). The lesions ranged from isolated intimal rupture to complete loss of continuity of the aorta. Radiological diagnosis or thoracic surgical exploration took place in five patients within 48 hours of the accident, while in the remaining three--alle with a false aneurysm of the thoracic aorta-the time elapsed before accurate diagnosis ranged from three months to seven years. Five patients were successfully operated upon. It is stressed that successful surgical intervention depends on early and accurate radiological diagnosis (chest X-ray and, if necessary, aortogram).