Pulmonary lacerations

Discussion:

The pattern of injuries indicates severe blunt chest trauma with compression-rupture injury to the left upper lobe and compression-shear injury to the paraspinal left lower lobe. The small bronchopleural fistula suggests penetration injury from a displaced rib fracture. (Maximum displacement occurs at the time of the injury.) The delayed right basal opacities may indicate contre-coup contusions. 

Contusion conspicuity peaks at 48-72 hours. The opacity is due to blood and edema in intact lung and can resolve within 2 weeks.

Lacerations typically resolve over weeks or months leaving scars. In this case, the larger left upper lobe laceration was incompletely healed after 2 months.

Blunt lung injuries reflect the degree of deformation of the chest wall. Tears expand due to elastic recoil of the adjacent lung, forming rounded cavities. In this case the cavities filled with gas and blood, forming haematopneumatocoeles.

NB. Check for major airway or vascular injury and bronchopleural fistula.
Potential complications include respiratory failure, ARDS, pneumonia, abscess, arteriovenous fistula and pseudoaneurym.

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