Abstract
Blunt traumatic extracranial vascular injuries most often occur in the setting of motor vehicle accidents, and the majority of penetrating neck injuries involve guns and knives. Injury of the carotid and/or vertebral arteries of the neck in blunt and penetrating trauma can occur through a variety of mechanisms, from direct transection, to shearing of blood vessels from hyperextension of the cervical spine, to disruption by fractures, and is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in trauma patients. The purpose of this review is to present the evidence and the controversies surrounding the imaging workup of patients with suspected extracranial vascular injuries. Selection of subjects for imaging, suggested imaging protocols, and future research are reviewed.