Multidetector computed tomography in the diagnosis of lesions of the main vessels for gunshot injury of the chest

Purpose – examine the possibilities of multislice computed tomangiography (MSCTA) in case of suspected damage to the great vessels in a chest gunshot fghting injury.

Material and methods. A radiation survey of 130 wounded with gunshot injuries of the chest to assess the nature, diagnosis of gunshot injuries of the vascular bed.

Results. Of the 130 wounded with gunshot wounds to the chest, 41 (31.5 %) of the injured had gunshot wounds to the chest were non­penetrating, and 89 (68.5 %) had penetrating injuries. In 76 (58.4 %) patients with gunshot chest injuries, the nature of the wound was fragmentation, in 54 (41.6 %), wounds were bullet wounds. In the algorithm of radiation examination of patients with gunshot wounds of the chest to identify the nature of damage to the organs of the mediastinum and vascular structures, the main method of visualization was MSCT with contrast enhancement. Damage to the bone skeleton of the chest (ribs, collarbone, sternum, scapula) by MSCT was observed in 23 (17.6 %) patients. Almost half – 66 (50.1 %) of the wounded with gunshot injuries during MSCT examination, traumatic injury (pulmonitis) of the lung was observed. In 2 (1.5 %) cases, damage to the heart was detected that was not recognized at the stage of skilled surgical care. False post­traumatic aneurysm of the thoracic aorta was diagnosed in two wounded. Accuracy, sensitivity, specifcity of MSCT angiography in imaging of the vascular bed and diagnosis of damage to the great vessels of the chest cavity was 98, 97 and 97 %, respectively.

Conclusions. MSCT made it possible to reliably assess the nature of the gunshot injuries of the chest, identify timely damage to the great vessels of the mediastinum, determine the localization of the foreign injuring bodies near the vascular structures, and determine the surgical tactics.

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