Traumatic diaphragmatic injuries

Abstract

Diaphragmatic injuries are uncommon injuries in the chest, thus they can easily be missed by the radiologist and surgeon. Therefore, a high index of suspicion is important for an early diagnosis and to avoid any complications. Multidetector computed tomography is the modality of choice for the diaphragmatic injuries. On MDCT, there are direct and indirect signs of diaphragmatic injuries. In this chapter we discuss the findings associated with blunt as well as penetrating diaphragmatic injuries with an emphasis on the role of the radiologist in making the diagnosis.