A 25-year-old man had a high-speed head-on collision with his mountain-bike. This patient was intubated because of neurological deterioration. There were no respiratory or circulatory problems.

Participation

Adequate orotracheal tube and stomach tube position - Mediastinal widening with opacification of the aortopulmonary window suggesting mediastinal bleeding - Abnormal configuration of the 7th thoracic vertebra suggesting fracture of the corpus of this vertebra

Requirements

MDCT demonstrated (1) a paraspinal haematoma originating from a (2) 6th and 7th thoracic vertebral body fracture and the presence of thymic tissue (not shown). In retrospect, the mediastinal widening at chest X-ray was due to the presence of the thymus, a prominent pulmonary artery and the paraspinal haematoma.

Extraexaminations

No EXTRA EXAMINATIONS for this particular case.

Requirements

High-energy head-on collision causing: stable fractures of 2 thoracic vertebral corpora with a paraspinal haematoma which were treated with a cast - associated injury: severe head injury

Copyright details.