Background
Mortality rates with blunt chest trauma can be as high as 60%, and 20–25% of deaths in polytrauma can be due to chest injury. It is crucial to recognize the types of acute traumatic chest wall injuries timely.
Educational Goals / Teaching Points
Our objectives are to recognize the difference types of lung injuries, contusions, and lacerations, to describe the four different types of lung lacerations, and to be aware of the diagnostic pitfalls and differential diagnosis one must consider in these cases.
Key Anatomic/Physiologic Issues and Imaging Findings/Techniques
We reviewed the imaging studies, primarily chest x-rays and chest CTs of the trauma patients and excluded cardiac emergencies. This was to better differentiate lung injury types and characteristic imaging findings to avoid pitfalls.
Conclusion
All of the trauma patients had an initial chest radiograph that usually showed some indications of underlying chest wall or lung injuries such as pulmonary contusions, rib fractures, pleural effusions, hemothorax, or abnormal air collections like pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, pneumopericardium, or diaphragmatic tear. Complications associated with location and increased number of the rib fractures included flail chest, type three lung laceration, hepatic and splenic lacerations in addition to mediastinal injuries associated with high impact first rib fractures.
