The Role of Computed Tomography in Laryngotracheal Trauma: A Case Series

Abstract

Laryngotracheal injuries are uncommon but often life threatening. Forensically, the assessment of survived cases is usually based on the external findings and several subjective elements such as reports from the involved persons and witnesses. Therefore, the need for more objective methods is crucial for forensic experts. Clinical computed tomography (CT) is sufficiently advanced to provide detailed descriptions of the internal structures. This study aims to evaluate the use of CT in survived and non-survived cases of laryngotracheal trauma. A total of five patients were included in this study (4 survived cases and one deceased). Information and data were collected retrospectively from medical records; radiological images were analyzed. The study involved three cases with injuries which resulted from blunt trauma caused by an alleged boating accident and sporting accidents, as well as two cases with injuries as a result of medical malpractice. During history taking, type of injury may help in early diagnosis and fast provision of treatment to patients. Blunt types of injury may require the help of CT more than acute injuries for early diagnosis and treatment. major neck vessels opacified normally. Case Three: The CT scan showed extensive air leak a with large volume of subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum, pneumopericardium and right pneumotho

Forensic Medical Examination in Cases of Non-Lethal Larynx Traumas

“…Computed tomography, which can detect damages of laryngeal cartilages, is not always included in diagnostic procedures performed as a part of examination. At the same time, the importance of computed tomography in such cases is emphasized both in the scientific work of clinicians and forensic medical experts [3,8]. In certain examinations, no additional tests, including those determining the degree of laryngeal dysfunction, were performed.…”

“…to estimate the severity of bodily injuries in each particular case [8][9][10]. "Rules for forensic medical assessment of bodily injuries severity" [11] A review of literature [12][13][14][15] on examination of alive persons, written by leading scientific forensic medical physicians, shows that there have been no thorough scientific studies on determination and substantiation of diagnostic criteria for medico-legal estimation of the severity of bodily injuries in laryngeal injuries.…”