[Blunt and open trauma of the heart and thoracic aorta in 26 patients (author's transl)].

Twenty-six patients with blunt or open trauma to the heart and thoracic aorta were admitted and 23 were operated on. Among 19 blunt trauma there were 15 ruptures of the aorta among which 12 were operated and 3 were not, 2 lesions of the ventricular septum, 1 coronary thrombosis and 1 rupture of the right atrium. In 7 open wounds there were 3 ventricular lesions; 3 cases of pericarditis and 1 aortic lesion. Among operated patients 1 died of a rupture of the aortic isthmus and another of a rupture of the aortic arch and left carotid artery. The 3 patients that were not operated died of a rupture of the aortic isthmus. In these cases the diagnosis must be set early and the aortography must be followed by an operation. In cases of an open wound early thoracotomy is recommended.