Wu En-Haw, Shouldice Daniel, Robinson Jeffrey
Department of Radiology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Washington, 325 9th Ave, Seattle, Seattle, WA 98104, USA.
Radiol Case Rep. 2019 Jun 14;14(8):1043-1046. doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2019.05.027. eCollection 2019 Aug.
Severe burn injuries can complicate management of polytrauma. While CT is the primary imaging modality for evaluation of trauma injuries, CT findings of severe burn are rarely reported. A 31-year-old female was brought to the emergency department after motor vehicle collision in which she sustained a burn injury from contact with the vehicle muffler. Her initial trauma workup was notable for full-thickness burns to her left abdominal wall among other injuries. CT scan showed skin thickening and extensive stranding involving the whole layer of subcutaneous soft tissue. The deep fascia and underlying muscle layer were free from burn injuries. Identification of this finding on the CT scan helps establish appropriate care.