[A controversial entity: myocardial contusion in 51 patients with thoracic trauma]

We studied the incidence of myocardial contusion following thoracic trauma in a group of 51 patients. The goal of this review is an assessment of the repercussion of this lesion in mortality and treatment. Also we considered the diagnostic options. Our finding show that this lesion is relatively frequent, 8 patients were considered with myocardial contusion (15.7%), but generally is not worth of extraordinary treatment. We considered the ECG a valuable diagnostic procedure and the CPK-MB a specific test, but brief and often with troubled interpretation due to the great rhabdomyolysis and the huge liberation of total CPK. In 4 patients there was obvious elevation of CPK-MB levels. All but one were in the ECG group. Other diagnostic procedures in those patients were not available.