Aortic intimal injuries from blunt trauma: resolution profile in nonoperative management

To provide preliminary data on the resolution profile of aortic intimal injuries treated nonoperatively and on the safety of nonoperative management of these injuries.

Five blunt trauma patients diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) with traumatic intimal injury of the aorta were assigned to nonoperative management. This included beta-blockade to maintain systolic blood pressure between 80 and 90 mm Hg and heart rate between 60 and 80 beats/min, serial TEE studies, and invasive monitoring in the intensive care unit. The evolution of injury, the effectiveness of nonoperative treatment, and the potential need for an operative intervention were monitored.

The patients had a mean Injury Severity Score of 32 and sustained multiple associated thoracic and extrathoracic injuries. Aortic injuries were located at the level of the ligamentum arteriosum and in the descending aorta adjacent to the diaphragm in three and two patients, respectively. The mean size of injury was 12.5 mm (range, 5-20 mm) and a thrombus attached to the endothelium was present in three of the five patients. Complete resolution of injury occurred within 9.4 +/- 6.6 days (range, 3-19 days). All patients remained hemodynamically stable and adequately perfused. All demonstrated progressive resolution of their aortic intimal injuries. No complications related to the aortic injuries were identified during a mean follow-up of 16.8 months.

This small series suggests that aortic intimal injuries smaller than 20 mm in hemodynamically stable patients treated with beta-blockade resolve within several days. This approach appears safe when monitored by serial TEE studies performed by experienced experts, and continuous invasive hemodynamic monitoring.