Traumatic Aortic Injury

What is Traumatic Aortic Injury?

Traumatic aortic injury is a partial or complete tear in the wall of the aorta caused by a sudden injury to the chest, such as from a car accident or fall. The aorta is the body´s largest artery, which carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. If not treated quickly, a traumatic aortic injury can quickly cause death.

Causes

Sudden deceleration following trauma to the chest causes the wall of the aorta to break apart.

Risk Factors

Serious injury to the chest, such as from a car accident or fall from a height.

What are the Symptoms?

Often, this injury has no specific symptoms or the injuries are overshadowed by other traumatic injuries. Most often, a chest X-ray may suggest an abnormality that leads to further testing to diagnose a traumatic aortic injury.

How is Traumatic Aortic Injury Diagnosed?

• Chest X-ray: A chest X-ray may detect abnormalities within the chest and lead to further testing.
• Computed tomography (CT) scan: Detailed X-ray slices of the aorta are taken to determine if there are any tears in the artery wall.
• Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) scan: Electromagnetic energy is used to create pictures of the aorta to see if there is an injury to the aortic wall.

Treatment at UVA's Heart and Vascular Center

Surgeons will need to repair the wall of the aorta. Depending on other injuries suffered and the severity of the injury to the aorta, surgeons may decide to treat other injuries before repairing the aorta wall. Often the aortic injury can be treated with a stent-graft (a cylinder-like tube), avoiding a major operation.