Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2008;34:449. doi:10.1016/j.ejcts.2008.03.072
Copyright © 2008, European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier. All rights reserved.
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Benefit of three-dimensional computed tomography for traumatic rib fracture: easy to detect and explain rib fractures
Hironori Ishibashia,*,
Shin-ichiro Ohtaa,
Masahide Hirosea,
Nobuaki Nakajimab
a Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Shizuoka General Hospital, 4-27-1, Kita-ando, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka city, 420-8527, Japan
b Department of Radiology, Shizuoka General Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan
Received 30 November 2007;
received in revised form 13 March 2008;
accepted 31 March 2008.
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +81 54 247 6111; fax: +81 54 247 6140. (Email: hishiba{at}kf6.so-net.ne.jp).
Key Words: Three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) • Blunt chest trauma • Rib fracture
Three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) could detect fractures of the sternum, more rib cartilage or rib fractures (Fig. 1
) causing delayed pneumothorax or hemothorax even with massive subcutaneous emphysema (Fig. 2
). Moreover, 3D-CT is useful to explain the details of injury and is strongly recommended for patients with blunt chest trauma.
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Fig. 1. A 58-year-old man bruised by a tree while working. (a) CR showed right pneumothorax, hemothorax, and eighth rib fracture. (b) 3D-CT showed eight rib fractures, from second to ninth.
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Fig. 2. A 63-year-old man fell 30 m from a cliff. (a) CR showed massive pneumomediastinum, subcutaneous emphysema, and no rib fracture. (b) 3D-CT showed five right rib fractures (from first to sixth). (c) 3D-CT showed four left rib fractures (from first to fourth).
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