Fig. 1

Grading of traumatic aortic injury in para-sagittal CT reformations with additional schematic presentation: (a) Grade 1 injury in a 38-year-old patient after a fall from 10 m. Intimal flaps are demonstrated at the level of the upper and lower curvature of the proximal descending aorta and 10 cm distal to the subclavian artery (arrowheads) and accompanying mediastinal haematoma. (b) Grade 3 injury in a 35-year-old female patient after a motor vehicle accident. A large pseudoaneurysm formation is seen in the typical position. (c) and (d) Traumatic aortic transection (grade 4) in a 79-year-old female patient after a fall from 4 m height. There is also a massive para-aortic haematoma. The patient died immediately after the CT examination