thoracic inlet injury

thoracic inlet injury

Traumatic injury to the base of the neck involving the superior mediastinal vessels–innominate, subclavian, proximal common carotid arteries and veins; damaged vessels in TII are surgically problematic as facile access is blocked by the clavicosternal 'shield'; although correlation of anatomic defects with clinical Sx is poor, adequate regional exploration and hemostasis in this region results in ↓ mortality