73-year-old Female with Syncope and Motor Vehicle Collision

Patients with traumatic injuries can be difficult to assess, and their evaluation often evolves in the emergency department (ED). We describe how an ED attending physician member developed a differential diagnosis for this presentation, arrived at a suspected diagnosis, and what test he proposed to prove his hypothesis.

This clinicopathological case presentation details the initial assessment and management of a 73-year-old female who presented to the ED following a motor vehicle collision precipitated by a syncopal episode.

The final surprising diagnosis is then revealed.