Traumatic aortic aneurysm: validity of esophageal tube displacement sign.

Displacement of the nasogastric tube to the right as a new sign in the diagnosis of an acute traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta was reevaluated by statistical analysis in 28 patients (seven patients with a traumatic aortic aneurysm and 21 patients with normal aortas). This new sign was compared with the commonly used chest radiographic findings in 46 patients (eight patients with a traumatic aortic aneurysm and 38 with normal aortas). This study showed that when both the trachea and the nasogastric tube were shifted to the right, as seen on the chest radiograph, the patient had a 96% probability of having an acute rupture of the thoracic aorta.