Nontraumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta: chest radiographic features of an often unrecognized condition.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to evaluate chest radiographic features of nontraumatic mediastinal hemorrhage occurring after extrapericardial thoracic aorta rupture.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-seven consecutive chest radiographs obtained at admission of patients with hemorrhage from ruptured thoracic aorta aneurysms, aortic dissections, or penetrating aortic ulcers were randomized with radiographs of 23 subjects with nonruptured thoracic aorta aneurysms, 20 subjects with nonruptured dissections, and 20 control subjects. Diagnoses were established by interpreting CT scans, MR images, and findings at surgery or autopsy or both.