The Acute Vascular Chest

Background The authors identified as ‘acute vascular chest’ a syndrome characterized by respiratory-thoracic signs, mimicking pleuro-pulmonary or chest wall diseases, that, on the contrary, are caused by proper acute thoracic vascular lesions, traumatic or not, but not cardiac. Results As typical examples, we mention two cases: one of traumatic left extrapleural hematoma, secondary to rupture of the subclavian artery, and another concerning an aneurysm of the mid descending thoracic aorta, fissured into the upper left pulmonary lobe. In both these cases, angiographic examinations allowed a prompt and correct diagnosis. Conclusion Today, precise radiological studies of the extrapleural and upper thoracic spaces support the identification of this particular syndrome.