The radiology of blunt chest trauma

Chest injuries and related complications prove fatal in over half of the victims of multiple trauma. The radiologist's responsibility is twofold: a) to recognize key radiographic signs and b) to guide the clinician in the radiologic investigation and management of the patient. The important diagnoses to be recognized from radiographs are pneumothorax, aortic rupture, bronchial rupture and diaphragmatic rupture.