European radiology
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The supine chest radiograph is the initial and most commonly performed imaging study to evaluate the thorax after trauma. Whenever the chest radiograph is equivocal or suspicious for acute diaphragmatic injury (DI), computed tomography (CT) is usually the next study of choice since it is both generally available and often used to examine other body regions in the patient after trauma. ⋯ Simple T1-weighted spin-echo images in the sagittal and coronal orientation are usually sufficient to establish or exclude DI. This article reviews imaging modalities and strategies for diagnosing DI from blunt trauma.