Dissection of the right pulmonary artery after blunt trauma.

A 46-year old female patient was admitted after a 5-m height fall. Contrast-enhanced CT scan discovered dissection of the right pulmonary artery (Figs 1 and 2) as well as rib fractures, pneumo-/ haemothorax, pulmonary contusions and pneumomedistinum. The dissection was confirmed by another CT scan 6 days later. The course was nonoperatively and uneventful. Figure 1: CT scan revealed dissection of the right pulmonary artery. The patient had no past medical history and particularly no chronic pulmonary hypertension due to congenital cardiac anomaly which is the main cause of spontaneous pulmonary artery dissection. Pulmonary artery dissection after blunt trauma has been scarcely described previously.