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Trauma > Head and Neck Trauma
Penetrating Neck Trauma
Article Last Updated: Sep 9, 2008
AUTHOR AND EDITOR INFORMATION
Section 1 of 12  
Author: Daniel Mark Alterman, MD, RN, Resident Physician, Department of Surgery, University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine
Daniel Mark Alterman is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Surgeons and International College of Surgeons
Coauthor(s):
Brian James Daley, MD, MBA, FACS, Associate Program Director, Professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Critical Care, University of Tennessee School of Medicine;
Eugene Y Cheng, MD, FCCM, Consulting Staff, Department of Anesthesiology, The Permanente Medical Group;
Val Selivanov, MD, Consulting Staff, Administrative Chief, Department of Surgery, Kaiser Permanente of Santa Teresa
Editors: Lewis J Kaplan, MD, FACS, FCCM, FCCP, Director, SICU and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, Section of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and Surgical Emergencies, Yale University School of Medicine; Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine; Robert L Sheridan, MD, Assistant Chief of Staff, Chief of Burn Surgery, Shriners Burns Hospital; Associate Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma and Burns, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School; Paolo Zamboni, MD, Professor of Surgery, Chief of Day Surgery Unit, Chair of Vascular Diseases Center, University of Ferrara, Italy; John Geibel, MD, DSc, MA, Vice Chairman, Professor, Department of Surgery, Section of Gastrointestinal Medicine and Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine; Director of Surgical Research, Department of Surgery, Yale-New Haven Hospital
Author and Editor Disclosure
Synonyms and related keywords:
penetrating neck trauma, penetrating neck injury, neck trauma, traumatic neck injury, neck injury, blunt neck trauma, blunt neck injury, penetrating neck wounds, gunshot wounds, stab wounds, puncture wounds, impalement injuries
Penetrating neck trauma is an important area of trauma care that has undergone evolution in the recent past. A remarkable number of changes have occurred in the treatment paradigm as new technologies have developed and as surgeons have explored the outcomes from different treatment protocols. Therapy has evolved from no treatment (prior to effective anesthesia and instrumentation), to nonoperative management, to routine exploration, to selective exploration and adjunctive invasive or noninvasive assessment. Penetrating neck injuries remain challenging, as there are a number of important structures in a small area and injury to any of these structures may not be readily apparent.
History of the Procedure
For centuries, carotid ligation was the only reliable treatment of severe penetrating neck injury. In 1552, Ambrose Pare ligated both common carotid arteries and the jugular vein of a soldier with a traumatic neck injury. The patient survived but developed aphasia and hemiplegia. In 1803, Fleming ligated a lacerated common carotid artery and reported a successful outcome with a 5-month follow-up. The noted author George Orwell suffered a penetrating neck injury causing a unilateral vocal fold paresis in 1936 as a result of his involvement in Spain's Civil War.
Nonoperative management of penetrating neck wounds was the standard until World War I. During World War II, a more aggressive approach to neck exploration was adopted. The types of injuries seen on the battlefields of World War II and the then available diagnostic armamentarium are significantly different in the modern civilian trauma center. The changes associated with improved imaging modalities and nonmilitary injuries have resulted in a dramatic change in the treatment paradigm for penetrating neck injury. Continual advances in anesthesia and perioperative management since World War II have improved the care and the outcome of these patients.
Problem
Penetrating neck trauma involves a missile or sharp object penetrating the skin and violating the platysma layer of the neck. This includes gunshot wounds, stab or puncture wounds, and impalement injuries.
Frequency
Penetrating neck trauma represents approximately 5-10% of all trauma cases that present to the emergency department. About 30% of these cases are accompanied by injury outside of the neck zones as well. The current mortality rate in civilians with penetrating neck injuries ranges from 3-6%. During World War II, the mortality rate was 7%, and, in World War I, it was 11%. Higher mortality rates occur with injuries to large vessels, such as the carotid or subclavian arteries and veins. Recent experience in the treatment of casualties from the Iraq War at Walter Reed Army Medical Center reported the common carotid artery as the most frequently injured cervical vessel.1
Etiology
Penetrating neck injuries, like any trauma, may be classified as intentional or nonintentional. The objects causing these injuries can be divided into stabbing instruments (eg, knives, cutting instruments, puncturing objects, impaling objects) and shooting instruments (eg, missiles, projectiles). Wounding instruments have specific characteristics that affect surgical findings. For example, stab wounds typically have a 10% higher rate of negative exploration than injuries from projectiles.
Pathophysiology
Two factors in the mechanism of injury or kinematics in penetrating neck trauma determine the extent of damage to the tissue. - Weapon characteristics
- The amount of kinetic energy delivered by the wounding agent has to be considered together with its interaction with the involved tissue.
- Kinetic energy (KE) is described by the following equation: KE = 1/2 mass X velocity (squared).
- Low-energy weapons include hand-driven weapons, such as knives or ice picks, which damage with only their sharp point or cutting edge.
- Firearms may be classified as medium-energy (ie, handguns) and high-energy weapons (ie, military assault weapons), with the latter usually defined as having 461 joules or more.
- Projectiles (ie, bullets, missiles) often are differentiated by mass, velocity, shape, and construction because these characteristics affect the extent of tissue disruption.
- Bullet velocity is the most important characteristic considered, with high velocity defined as greater than 2500 ft/s.
- Location of injury and human tissues involved
- Tissue injury results from either a direct impact by the penetrating projectile or tissue displacement from temporary cavitation.
- Wound sites and, if present, the wounding agent in the neck provide an indication of the likely injury complex.
Clinical
Evidence of significant injury to vital structures of the neck may be indicated by the following clinical manifestations: - Dysphagia – Tracheal and/or esophageal injury
- Hoarseness – Tracheal and/or esophageal injury (especially recurrent laryngeal nerve)
- Oronasopharyngeal bleeding – Vascular, tracheal, or esophageal injury
- Neurologic deficit – Vascular and/or spinal cord injury
- Hypotension – Nonspecific; may be related to the neck injury or may indicate trauma elsewhere
Proposed hard signs of airway injury include the following: - Subcutaneous emphysema – Tracheal, esophageal, or pulmonary injury
- Air bubbling through the wound
- Stridor or respiratory distress – Laryngeal and/or esophageal injury
Several so-called hard signs that strongly indicate vascular injury are as follows: - Hematoma (expanding) – Vascular injury
- Active external hemorrhage from the wound site – Arterial vascular injury
- Bruit/thrill – Arteriovenous fistula
- Pulselessness/pulse deficit
- Distal ischemia (neurologic deficit in this case)
The evaluation of a patient with penetrating neck trauma always should start with advanced trauma life support (ATLS), a paradigm that begins with a directed primary survey emphasizing airway, breathing, and circulation (ABC). After patients are stabilized, they undergo a secondary survey that includes a complete history and a thorough physical examination. These steps, together with the studies discussed in Workup, are used to identify the likely injury complex and to direct further treatment or diagnostic testing.
There is evidence to suggest that the hard signs of airway injury are more reliable and result in less negative operative explorations compared with hard signs of vascular injury. The rate of negative exploration for patients with hard signs of vascular injury varies widely, but it may be estimated at 10%. However, series that report these cases as “nonsignificant” injury or as negative explorations lack clear definition, and it is difficult to draw any useful conclusion from the data.
The standard of care is immediate surgical exploration for patients who present with signs and symptoms of shock and continuous hemorrhage from the neck wound. The type of incision depends on the neck zone and the structures at risk for injury.
The following specific injuries must be confirmed and treated during neck exploration:
- Carotid artery injuries
- Vertebral artery injuries
- Jugular vein injury
- Laryngotracheal injuries
- Esophageal injuries
- Nerve injuries
- Thoracic duct injuries
- Thyroid injuries
In few other regions of the body are so many vital structures (that would be of immediate concern following injury) located in so small a volume. An injury is not considered to have penetrated the neck unless the injury penetrates the platysma muscle layer. Injuries through the platysma and injuries crossing the midline usually cause a greater degree of damage. The sternocleidomastoid muscle delineates the posterior and anterior regions of the neck. The area of the neck posterior to the cervical vertebral body and the scalene muscles is composed mainly of muscle, bone, and nonvital vessels and lymphatics. Most of the vital structures are located in the anterior or lateral regions.
The neck may be divided into 3 zones using anatomic landmarks. Each zone has a group of vital structures that can be injured and may determine the kind of trauma management.
- Zone I is the horizontal area between the clavicle/suprasternal notch and the cricoid cartilage encompassing the thoracic outlet structures. The proximal common carotid, vertebral, and subclavian arteries and the trachea, esophagus, thoracic duct, and thymus are located in zone I.
- Zone II is the area between the cricoid cartilage and the angle of the mandible. It contains the internal and external carotid arteries, jugular veins, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, recurrent laryngeal nerve, spinal cord, trachea, thyroid, and parathyroids.
- Zone III is the area that lies between the angle of the mandible and the base of the skull. It has the distal extracranial carotid and vertebral arteries and the uppermost segments of the jugular veins.
Tight fascial compartments of neck structures may limit external hemorrhage from vascular injuries, minimizing the chance of exsanguination. However, these tight fascial boundaries may increase the risk of airway compromise because the airway is relatively mobile and compressible by an expanding hematoma.
No role exists for probing or local exploration of the neck in the trauma bay or emergency department because this may dislodge a clot and initiate uncontrollable hemorrhage. If no significant injuries requiring surgery are present, surgical therapy is unnecessary and observation or expectant management may proceed.
Lab Studies
- Hemoglobin concentration is useful to evaluate for the immediate need for transfusion and to document the starting point for future comparison.
- A blood specimen for typing is useful should transfusion be required. As patients who have had prior transfusions become alloimmunized, early recognition of antibody formation is essential to provide compatible blood products.
- A toxicologic screen is indicated for the patient with an altered sensorium. This is important to help differentiate the altered sensorium of intoxication from a neurologic etiology following penetrating neck trauma with an arterial injury component.
Imaging Studies
- Cervical anteroposterior and lateral radiography is used to evaluate for vertebral bony injury; retained foreign bodies; and foreign body deformity, location, size, and number.
- Four-vessel cerebral angiography is indicated with clinical evidence of significant vascular injury (ie, hard signs) in zone I and zone III, as well as in selectively managed zone II injuries. Physical examination findings reliably guide the use of invasive testing for suspected zone II vascular injury. In fact, the percentage (about 1%) of missed vascular injuries using physical examination screening criteria is similar to the false-negative rate for angiography. Data from Ferguson and colleagues suggest that, in the absence of hard vascular signs with a zone III injury, angiography is not necessary.2 This concept holds true for many types of suspected arterial injury. This represents a dramatic change in evaluation, as angiography was previously mandatory for all penetrating zone III injuries.
- Hypotension and exsanguination should prompt operative exploration in most centers. Certain centers that have in-house angiographers may proceed to the angiography suite for injuries in zone I and zone III despite hypotension or hemorrhage. Angiography remains the criterion standard for defining arterial anatomy and injury complexes, with an accuracy close to 100%.
- Arteriography demonstrates a low yield (<1%) of findings that alter treatment in asymptomatic patients. Arteriography usually is performed using a digital subtraction angiography (DSA) technique that reduces the amount of contrast required and yields a superior computer-manipulated image for evaluation.
- Helical computed tomographic angiography is less invasive and is showing promise in defining vascular neck injury. Possibly, in the future, this technique may replace angiography.
- Two-dimensional Doppler studies are a noninvasive alternative to angiography to evaluate vascular injury in critical areas (principally in zone II). Its role in zone III evaluation is quite limited, given the obvious anatomic limitations of ultrasound in this region. This study typically incorporates a static B mode image of the interrogated vessel in combination with real-time ultrasound and Doppler velocity determination coupled with spectral analysis. This is covered in the umbrella term Duplex. Three-dimensional images for reformation are increasingly available but require costly imaging systems that may not be readily available in the emergency department. Such tests may be best used in stable patients with zone II injuries without any signs of vascular injury to complete the examination of the regional vital structures.
- Esophagography is essential to evaluate for an esophageal perforation. Selecting the oral contrast medium for esophageal injury detection is controversial. One school of thought contends that oral iodinated aqueous contrast media better demonstrates perforations and anastomotic leakage with less risk of complications than barium; the sensitivity of this technique in detecting esophageal injury increases from 70-89% when combined with esophagoscopy. The other school of thought contends that aqueous contrast media is hypertonic and, if extravasated into the mediastinum, induces a local inflammatory reaction. Barium solution is inert in the mediastinum and has been used for decades within the tracheobronchial tree for contrast bronchography prior to the advent of flexible bronchoscopy.
- Computed tomography (CT) scan is a study that can evaluate many structures at a time and that is enhanced with the use of intravenous nonionic contrast media. If available, helical or spiral CT scans permit multiplanar views and 3-dimensional reconstructions. A CT scan is excellent for helping to define and diagnose a laryngeal injury. A CT scan can also be useful to help define a missile tract. A CT scan does not increase the sensitivity of detecting an esophageal injury. If an esophageal injury is suspected, esophagoscopy is the procedure of choice.
- CT angiography (CTA) is gaining acceptance as an adjunctive screening tool. A review by Woo and colleagues reports that the use of CTA is associated with less operative exploration, less negative explorations, and reduced use of invasive studies, such as conventional angiography.1 Physical examination findings supplemented by CTA should have a prominent role in the selective management of penetrating neck injuries. CTA has replaced angiography as the initial study of choice in the vascular evaluation of a neck injury.
- The improved spatial resolution of the multidetector CT scan has improved the diagnostic capability and the accuracy of this modality, further supporting it as the initial study of choice for civilian injury.
- Renewed interest as to the optimal management of wartime penetrating neck injuries has been addressed by Fox and colleagues in the delayed assessment of war casualties at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.3 A significant number of delayed evaluations found injuries, and retained missile fragments, were a limitation to accurate assessment at the zone of injury with CT examination. They assert that, for the military injury, arteriography remains the criterion standard.
- The advantage of magnetic resonance imaging is not elucidated clearly for penetrating neck injuries; continual evaluation and monitoring of trauma patients who are in potentially critical condition presents a problem during this procedure.
- Even when readily available, time constraints of magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) limit its use in the acute phase of traumatic evaluation.
Diagnostic Procedures
- Direct laryngoscopy - For evaluation of oropharyngeal and tracheal injuries
- Flexible bronchoscopy - For delineation of tracheal and bronchial injuries
- Esophagoscopy - Flexible esophagoscopy can be used to detect an esophageal injury with less risk of procedure-related complications than rigid esophagoscopy (ie, rupture and complications from general anesthesia). Concerns exist regarding the introduction of oropharyngeal flora into the tissue planes of the neck when performing upper endoscopy in the presence of a perforation because visualization of the central lumen is aided by continuous gas insufflation through the endoscope.
Medical therapy
- Prehospital care
- Resuscitative efforts are imperative, with the emphasis on the ABCs.
- The airway is cleared of any obstruction and assessed for possible injury.
- A depressed sensorium and demonstrated poor oxygenation and ventilation are indications to establish a more optimal airway (ie, through endotracheal intubation) and possibly start mechanical ventilation.
- Control of bleeding with direct pressure on the wound site is adequate initially. Large-bore intravenous catheters for fluid resuscitation are inserted. Studies suggest that resuscitation targets with regard to blood pressure be lowered to the range of a mean arterial pressure of 50 mm Hg until definitive hemorrhage control is possible. The concern is that aggressive resuscitation may elevate the blood pressure and increase hemorrhage through an uncontrolled injury site.
- Cervical spine precautions are implemented with suspected spinal cord injury, but these are rare.
- Expeditious transport to an adequate emergency care facility is warranted.
- Medical therapy
- To secure a definitive airway, translaryngeal endotracheal intubation should be performed in penetrating neck injuries accompanied by respiratory failure or in cases in which urgent exploration is necessary.
- If translaryngeal intubation fails, as occurs in extensive facial or mandibular fractures, a cricothyroidotomy may be required. Expeditious intubation of a tracheotomy produced by the penetrating injury sometimes may be lifesaving.
- Adequate ventilation and oxygenation usually entails invasive mechanical ventilation. Noninvasive ventilation has little role in treating patients with penetrating neck trauma.
- A warmed balanced sodium chloride solution (ie, Ringer lactate) is the initial resuscitation fluid of choice. Colloid resuscitation strategies may include starch products or component products for transfusion of red blood cells or clotting factors as appropriate.
- Evaluate and monitor the neurologic status of the patient with consideration for spinal cord injury, as well as vascular trauma with cerebral circulatory compromise.
- After the primary survey and resuscitation and stabilization of the patient (if possible without an operation), attention is directed to the identification of specific injuries to determine whether surgical treatment is indicated. If no significant injuries requiring surgery are present, observation or expectant management may proceed.
Surgical therapy
The standard of care is immediate surgical exploration for patients who present with signs and symptoms of shock and continuous hemorrhage from the neck wound. Surgical management varies in difficulty depending on the area of neck injury. Surgical exposure of the injury is particularly difficult in zone I and zone III. Vascular control may be problematic in zone I (proximal control) and zone III (distal control). This consequently leads to the higher mortality rates in patients with vascular injuries in these neck zones.
Preoperative details
Continue resuscitative efforts and establish a complete list of possible injuries, by diagnostic tests if necessary. Other sites of injury include the adjacent thorax and head or other distant body parts in multiple injuries. Preparation for surgery also includes tetanus prophylaxis, antibiotic prophylaxis (gram-positive coverage), and a specimen for blood typing should component therapy be required.
Intraoperative details
A stabilizing measure that has been reported to be useful involves the placement of a Foley catheter through the injury tract and the balloon inflated to tamponade bleeding. Several series have reported the use of this stabilizing measure, followed by angiography and other ancillary testing to guide the use of operative management. Navsaria reported the use of this strategy in South Africa with a high rate of successful nonoperative management with negative angiography and adjunctive tests.4 Recently, similar damage-control principles have been described for the critical vascular neck wound. Rezende-Neto and colleagues performed a limited neck exploration without definitive repair of a ligated internal jugular vein and closed a wound over two Foley balloons and rapidly moved the patient to the intensive care unit for resuscitation.5 After 36 hours, the patient was returned to the operating room for successful, definitive treatment. The type of incision depends on the neck zone and the structures at risk for injury. An additional consideration is proper exposure to gain adequate proximal and distal control of the involved blood vessels. The standard neck incision, parallel to the medial border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, can be used for most zone II injuries and can be extended cephalad for zone III injuries, specifically for injuries to the distal carotid or vertebral arteries. Extension of the standard neck incision, transversely to the opposite side, can be performed for bilateral injuries.
A transverse or collar-type incision can be performed for suspected injuries traversing the cervical region, providing exposure to both sides and obviating the need for bilateral neck incisions.
A supraclavicular incision provides good exposure for zone I injuries. Removal of the head of the clavicle with an oscillating saw may provide better exposure. In conjunction, an anterolateral thoracotomy incision also may be used for thoracic inlet injuries.
The trapdoor or open-book thoracotomy includes a median sternotomy with an anterolateral extension and a supraclavicular extension for more exposure of zone I injuries. The specific injuries described below must be confirmed and treated during neck exploration. Note that multiple structures frequently are injured from penetrating neck injury because of the numerous vital structures that are contained in a small area.
Carotid artery injuries are the most common, with an incidence of approximately 9%. They also pose one of the most immediate life-threatening situations. The objective of surgical care is to arrest hemorrhage yet maintain cerebral blood flow and preserve neurologic function. Arteriorrhaphy, vein patch, or segmental repair with autogenous reversed saphenous vein graft can be performed to repair the injury. Arterial repair is shown to have lower morbidity and mortality rates than ligation. The presence of neurologic deficits, coma, and shock, especially preoperatively, are poor prognostic signs but are not absolute contraindications for carotid artery repair. Carotid ligation is advocated in patients who are comatose with no evidence of antegrade flow in the internal carotid artery. Ligation also can be an option when uncontrollable hemorrhage is present and temporary shunt placement is technically difficult.
Vertebral artery injuries have been diagnosed with increasing frequency with liberal use of arteriography, particularly 4-vessel angiography. The treatment of choice in the well-perfused patient is expectant management. Definitive intervention is indicated if a pseudoaneurysm, an arteriovenous fistula, or persistent bleeding is documented. Surgical repair can be performed, but, if the circle of Willis is patent, ligation is always an option. Angiographic embolization has advantages for this difficult-to-access artery, but distal control is still a problem.
Jugular vein injury repair is contingent on the condition of the patient. Repair can be performed by simple lateral closure, resection and reanastomosis, or saphenous vein graft reconstruction, particularly the internal jugular. Repairing at least one side is very important if both internal jugular veins are injured. The external jugular vein can be ligated without any adverse effects. Laryngotracheal injuries also are common, with a combined incidence of 10% among cases of penetrating neck trauma. Tracheal injuries can be repaired primarily in one layer of sutures. Interposition of adjacent omohyoid or sternocleidomastoid muscles should be performed when esophageal and arterial repair to prevent fistula formation are performed concomitantly. Tracheostomy is indicated when injury is severe, but performing it through the site of surgical repair should be avoided. A soft intralaryngeal stent in extensive disruption of the cartilaginous support of the larynx is recommended.
Esophageal injuries are the third most common in penetrating neck trauma (6%). Signs and symptoms of dysphagia, hematemesis, subcutaneous crepitus, retropharyngeal air, and injuries to adjacent structures are strong indicators of esophageal injury. Early diagnosis lessens the probability of delayed treatment and missed injury, which can be devastating (ie, mediastinitis). The recommended management of esophageal injury is primary repair and adequate drainage. Oral feeding may be initiated after a barium swallow study shows no evidence of a leak. For extensive injuries or in cases of delayed diagnosis with significant infection, the better option is to establish a controlled fistula with catheter drainage or an esophagostomy. Hypopharyngeal wounds sometimes can be treated with just a nasogastric tube for feeding and parenteral antibiotics. Feeding can be through a feeding jejunostomy or parenteral nutrition. Nerve injuries account for about 1-3% of cases of penetrating neck trauma. Injury to the vagus, recurrent laryngeal nerve, or brachial plexus should be repaired primarily when feasible (ie, a well-perfused patient without active hemorrhage). Spinal cord injury caused by penetrating trauma is managed expectantly. Steroids have not been shown to benefit injury from penetrating neck trauma.
Thoracic duct injuries, albeit difficult to demonstrate, can occur. They should be ligated to prevent chylous fistula and infections in the neck and mediastinum.
Thyroid injuries are uncommon despite the thyroid's size and location in the neck. Injuries can cause significant bleeding that often is controlled with direct pressure or suture ligation. Extensive injury may require an ipsilateral lobectomy to resolve the bleeding. Severe parotid injury is rarely seen. Parotid injuries with associated vessel injury requiring parotidectomy have been reported.
Postoperative details
Vascular injuries are managed postoperatively to ensure hemorrhage is stopped and blood supply and drainage to affected organs is adequate. Continually monitor the neurologic status of the patient. Ancillary angiographic and Doppler ultrasound studies can be performed to evaluate suspected complications with the repaired vessels.
Demonstration of good oxygenation and ventilation and the ability to maintain a patent airway are the parameters generally used to remove ventilatory support and extubation. Repairs of laryngotracheal injuries may require flexion of the neck to reduce tension.
A barium swallow study is performed after 5-7 days to evaluate the integrity of an esophageal injury repair. Oral feeding is initiated if no evidence of leak is present. The drains and feeding tubes also are discontinued. Parenteral antibiotics often are administered for the same duration. For those with controlled fistulas, definitive repair is performed after resolution of infection. Uncontrolled fistulae require the placement of additional drains and possible reexploration. Reexploration is performed for uncontrolled sepsis, as well as failure of percutaneous drainage methods.
Follow-up
After the initial postoperative recovery period, the patient should be monitored closely for complications. Breakdown of surgical repairs occasionally may occur. A high level of suspicion is needed for the early detection of postoperative complications or the need for diagnostic tests to confirm or rule out suspected problems. Long-term sequelae are uncommon. Cervical esophageal stenosis is rare but is treated adequately by bougienage. See related CME at Patients May Need Better Pain Interventions After Traumatic Injury.
Missed injuries or delayed diagnosis can occur after any injury to the neck, particularly in patients presenting with minimal manifestations. - Persistent hemorrhage - Usually from a missed arterial or venous injury, particularly in zone I and zone III
- Pseudoaneurysms - A later sequela from a missed vascular injury, which often is not bleeding actively during treatment
- Arterial dissection - Incomplete transmural vessel injury may cause this disruption between the layers of the arterial wall.
- Fistulas - Esophagocutaneous, esophagotracheal, tracheocutaneous, venoarterial
- Infections - Most often occur from missed esophageal or laryngotracheal injuries; severe inflammation, abscess formation, or mediastinitis may result.
- Stenosis or obstruction of luminal structures - May happen due to the inflammatory response and scarring around the injured esophagus, larynx, trachea, or vessels
- Neurologic deficits - May occur due to the direct injury to a peripheral nerve or to ischemic infarct caused by arterial injury
- Anastomotic or repair disruption - About 1% of surgical repairs leak and result in hemorrhage, infection, or fistula formation.
- Luminal stenosis or obstruction - The surgical repair and the inflammation can cause the narrowing of the lumen of the injured esophagus, larynx, trachea, or vessels.
- Infectious complications - Occurring particularly with injuries to the trachea and esophagus, severe inflammatory response in the neck, abscess formation, fistulas, or mediastinitis may result.
- Neurologic complications - Can occur as strokes related to major vascular injuries or directly to peripheral nerves
- Thrombosis of an internal jugular vein - Can occur regardless of the method of venorrhaphy
- Massive air emboli - May result from major venous injuries and is an important cause of bilateral, diffuse stroke identified as hypodense lesions on CT scan of the brain
Vascular trauma is present in 25% of penetrating neck injuries, with mortality rates approaching 50% in some studies. Tracheobronchial injuries may have an incidence of less than 10% to as high as 20% and a mortality rate of as high as 20%. The injured cervical esophagus can result in devastating complications and eventual outcomes, such as leakage of saliva, bacteria, refluxed acid, pepsin, and even bile. Undiagnosed, this can produce early suppurative infection and an intense necrotizing inflammatory response in the neck, as well as a more devastating outcome if it descends to the mediastinum. An 11-17% increase in the overall mortality rate has been observed after delays of 12 hours in the diagnosis of esophageal injuries.
The definitive management of penetrating neck trauma continues to be under debate and investigation. Among these investigations is the question of whether the mechanism of injury should dictate the specific management approach. For example, the question exists as to whether a different approach should be applied to gunshot injuries compared to stab wounds. Although the debate between mandatory neck exploration and selective management already may have favored the latter, the debate has not been resolved with finality. Currently, the debate focuses on selective management versus expectant management and whether the paradigm has shifted too far. Specific to the ongoing management debate is the question of which essential diagnostic modalities are required for optimal evaluation in the selective management approach. The question exists as to which diagnostic modalities ensure that injuries are not missed. The optimal surgical management of the carotid artery injury is another controversy in need of resolution. The issues involve whether severe neurologic deficits (ie, coma) and demonstrated absence of antegrade flow in the internal carotid artery contraindicate repair. In several studies, the reestablishment of antegrade flow in these cases has been suggested to be hazardous because it may convert an ischemic infarction into a hemorrhagic infarction. Further controversy exists regarding the optimal management of vascular injuries identified solely on screening CT angiography in the absence of clinical signs of vessel injury. However, most of these discussions arise in the setting of blunt neck injury. The use of these rapidly developing endovascular techniques for the treatment of subclinical injuries in the neck lacks clear guidelines at present.
| Media file 1:
A Zone II penetrating neck injury in a young boy. This child fortunately had no other documented injuries. |
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| Media file 2:
Tribal violence in Kenya resulted in this zone II arrow injury. |
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| Media file 3:
Same patient as in Media file 2. Note the entry point and the palpable tip of the arrow in the posterior triangle. |
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| Media file 4:
Same patient as in Media file 2. The arrow has been removed after negative neck exploration. |
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Penetrating Neck Trauma excerpt Article Last Updated: Sep 9, 2008
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