Use of CT for diagnosis of traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta

CT imaging of traumatic aortic rupture has been both advocated and disparaged in the current literature as a reliable diagnostic modality. In a retrospective review of blunt chest trauma patients at our institution evaluated by both thoracic CT and arteriography, we found a 17% false negative rate and a 39% false positive rate. Although we feel CT is not sufficiently sensitive at present to evaluate traumatic rupture of the aorta directly, it is an invaluable adjunctive imaging modality for stable blunt chest trauma patients with equivocal chest radiographs or arteriograms.