Diagnosis of aortic root injury using transoesophageal echocardiography after blunt trauma

Key Points

• The case aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of transoesophageal echocardiography in diagnosing aortic root injury after blunt trauma.
• Intraoperative use of transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE)
• Assessment of haemodynamic instability in a patient with blunt thoracic trauma
• Identification of tamponade physiology and aortic root laceration
• Prompting surgical intervention based on TOE findings
• TOE effectively identified tamponade physiology in the patient
• Diagnosis of isolated aortic root laceration was confirmed
• Immediate surgical intervention was initiated based on TOE results
• This case underscores the rarity and critical nature of isolated aortic root injuries after blunt trauma