Radiographics : a review publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc
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Cardiac injury due to blunt or penetrating chest trauma is common and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Understanding the mechanisms, types, and complications of cardiac injuries and the roles of various imaging modalities in characterizing them is important for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. These injuries have not been well documented at imaging, but there are now fast and accurate methods for evaluating the heart and associated mediastinal structures. ⋯ While many imaging modalities are available, the authors demonstrate the value of multidetector computed tomography (CT) for the initial evaluation of patients with blunt or penetrating chest trauma. With the advent of multidetector CT, imaging of cardiac injury has increased and accurate identification of these rare but potentially lethal injuries has become paramount for improving survival. Selection of the most appropriate modality for evaluation and recognition of the imaging findings in cardiac injuries in the acute trauma setting is important to expedite treatment and improve survival.
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Right lower quadrant abdominal pain is one of the most common causes of a patient visit to the emergency department. Although appendicitis is the most common condition requiring surgery in patients with abdominal pain, right lower quadrant pain can be indicative of a vast list of differential diagnoses and is thus a challenge for clinicians. ⋯ Multidetector computed tomography (CT) has emerged as the modality of choice for evaluation of patients with several acute traumatic and nontraumatic conditions causing right lower quadrant pain. Multidetector CT is an extremely useful noninvasive method for diagnosis and management of not only the most common causes such as appendicitis but also less common conditions.