Thoracic trauma: Interventional radiology

Thorax is the third most common site of traumatic injury after the head and extremities. Thoracic injuries both blunt and penetrating mechanisms account for approximately one quarter of deaths due to trauma and contribute to 25\u201350% of the remaining deaths. Thoracic trauma patients need to be rapidly and accurately assessed to determine the nature of their injuries with treatments prioritized by injury severity. In the last decades, there has been an acknowledged improvement in trauma care and there are constant ongoing developments, especially there has been a growing role for both diagnostic and interventional radiology (IR) in all types of trauma affecting thorax, with imaging and interventional radiology becoming integral parts of the multidisciplinary approach to modern trauma care. This chapter is intended to assess the role of IR in thoracic trauma and highlight some of the indications, contraindications, and treatment options available