Multiple cardiovascular injuries and motor vehicle accidents.

A patient sustained blunt chest trauma in a motor vehicle accident. Cardiovascular trauma was initially obscured by more obvious orthopedic injuries. Thoracic aortic transection with false aneurysm formation was discovered incidentally during cardiac catheterization for traumatic tricuspid insufficiency. Successful repair of both lesions was subseqeuntly performed. This case demonstrates the difficulty in recognizing cardiovascular trauma in survivors of motor vehicle accidents and emphasizes the need for an aggressive diagnostic approach with consideration of coexisting injuries in patients who have sustained blunt chest trauma.