Investigating changes in mediastinal anatomy on severe trauma using post-mortem CT scans and multiparametric 3-D reconstructions: a case series of major trauma

Abstract

Major trauma from high-impact events, such as road traffic accidents and crush injuries, often results in fatal injuries with complex and varied mechanisms affecting different regions of the body. In this paper, we review a case series of major trauma involving four unique accidents of destruction to physiological mediastinal anatomy and the aim is to evaluate post mortem computed tomography (PMCT) with 3D multiparametric reconstruction unusual findings scan with alteration of mediastinal anatomy and then compare with those of traditional autopsy. PMCT is a helpful tool in highlighting traumatic bone injuries, major visceral and vascular lesions of the mediastinum, as well as the presence of foreign body, pneumothorax and hemothorax, guiding the subsequent autopsy. The presence of hemothorax and blood in the mediastinal area reduces the diagnostic effectiveness of the PMCT, limiting the detection of minor vascular and visceral injuries.