EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF TRAUMATIC THORACIC AORTIC RUPTURE BY TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY

Traumatic aorta rupture survival depends on early diagnosis requiring aortography. Aortography is the ''gold standard'' method, but it is time-consuming and may be dangerous in trauma patients with multiple organ injuries. Transesophageal echocardiography is a noninvasive technology that can be performed at the bedside. We report two cases in which transesophageal echocardiography enabled us to make the early diagnosis of thoracic descending aorta rupture.