Multislice CT in thoracic trauma.

The introduction of CT imaging in the 1970s revolutionized all aspects of medical care, perhaps nowhere more so than in the evaluation of acutely injured patients. Just as single-slice helical scanning was a great advance over conventional CT, the capabilities of MSCT are proving to be dramatically superior to single-slice methods. Improved contrast bolus imaging, thinner slices, and isotropic voxels should enable the trauma radiologist to identify both major organ system disruption and subtle injuries more promptly. Multiplanar and three-dimensional reconstructions, a forte of MSCT, facilitate rapid communication of disease states with surgeons and others involved in the care of injured patients. In many centers, whole-body CT is beginning to supplant plain films of the chest and spine in the evaluation of severe trauma victims; the cost-effectiveness of such methods is still under evaluation.