Rib fracture posing risk for aortic rupture

Nesimi Günal; Ekin Zorlu; Tevfik Kaplan; Koray Dural; Berkant Özpolat

doi:10.5606/tgkdc.dergisi.2016.12749

Nesimi Günal¹, Ekin Zorlu¹, Tevfik Kaplan², Koray Dural¹, Berkant Özpolat¹

¹Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical Faculty of Kırıkkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey
²Department of Thoracic Surgery, Medical Faculty of Ufuk University, Ankara, Turkey

DOI : 10.5606/tgkdc.dergisi.2016.12749

A 50-year-old female patient was referred to emergency department with findings of shortness of breath and flail chest after a traffic accident. Her chest and abdomen computed tomography scan showed left hemopneumothorax, suspicious splenic bleeding, and multiple rib fractures. The fractured edge of the left sixth rib was posing a laceration threat against the descending aorta. After diagnostic laparotomy, left thoracotomy was performed, the fractured rib edge was resected before occurrence of any aortic injury, and the flail chest was stabilized. This article aims to draw attention to the importance of early intervention in posterior rib fractures posing injury threat against aorta and explain the possible mechanism.

Keywords : Chest injuries; descending aorta; flail chest; rib fractures

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