Published in:
01-07-2014 | Imaging in Intensive Care Medicine
Rapid detection of thyroid cartilage fracture by ultrasound in a multiple trauma patient
Published in: Intensive Care Medicine | Issue 7/2014
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A 46-year-old man was diagnosed with right thyroid cartilage fracture (TCF) and lung contusions due to a traffic accident. He received urgent endotracheal intubation and was admitted to ICU. Ultrasound was routinely performed for airway management before percutaneous tracheotomy in order to ensure effective airway protection on the third day; TCF with a hematoma was found. Review of the ultrasound found that the hematoma was narrower than before and no significant fracture displacement occurred in the first 12 postoperative days (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1
Computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound images of thyroid cartilage fracture performed within a–c 3 days of admission and d–f 12 days before removing the tracheal tube. a, d Axial images from the patient’s CT scans near the bottom of the thyroid cartilage. The right thyroid cartilage discontinuity represents a fracture (thick arrows). b, e The sonograms show thyroid cartilage (an inverted V-shaped hyperechoic structure). Transverse midline scans over the lower edge of the thyroid cartilage using a linear transducer. Fracture (thin arrows) along with the hematoma (triangle) clearly visible. c, f Three-dimensional volume-rendered images with fracture of the right lamina of the thyroid cartilage (blue arrows)
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