Imaging of Cardiac Trauma

: Cardiac trauma carries high mortality rates and should be considered in all patients presenting with chest trauma. These patients can have a wide range of clinical presentations, from being asymptomatic to being in hemodynamic collapse. Currently, multidetector computed tomography is the gold-standard diagnostic imaging modality for all patients with abnormal electrocardiogram and/or Troponin I levels following chest trauma. In this article, we discuss pathophysiology of cardiac trauma, review the role of medical imaging, and present the spectrum of abnormal findings in traumatic cardiac injuries.