Der Chirurg; Zeitschrift für alle Gebiete der operativen Medizen
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Case Reports
[Widening mediastinum after blunt thoracic trauma: an unexpected differential diagnosis].
We report our experience concerning a young, white, healthy woman who had a typical blunt chest injury caused by a severe car accident. We had to evaluate and differentiate the initial roentgenographic post-traumatic mediastinal enlargement in order definitely to exclude a suspected covered rupture of the thoracic aorta or the heart caused by this high-velocity deceleration trauma. ⋯ The diagnostic algorithm in blunt chest injury is also discussed. The controversy about the classification and management options of primary thymic tumors is also presented.