BackgroundThoracic trauma is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. In this study, we present our 11-year experience in the management and clinical outcome of 888 chest trauma cases as a result of blunt and penetrating injuries in our university hospital in Damascus, Syria.MethodsWe reviewed files of 888 consequent cases of chest trauma between January 2000 and January 2011. The mean age of our patients was 31 ± 17 years mostly males with blunt injuries. Patients were evaluated and compared according to age, gender, etiology of trauma, thoracic and extra-thoracic injuries, complications, and mortality.ResultsThe leading cause of the trauma was violence (41%) followed by traffic accidents (33%). Pneumothorax (51%), Hemothorax (38%), rib fractures (34%), and lung contusion (15%) were the most common types of injury. Associated injuries were documented in 36% of patients (extremities 19%, abdomen 13%, head 8%). A minority of the patients required thoracotomy (5.7%), and tube thoracostomy (56%) was sufficient to manage the majority of cases. Mean hospital LOS was 4.5 ± 4.6 days. The overall mortoality rate was 1.8%, and morbidity (n = 78, 8.7%).ConclusionsNew traffic laws (including seat belt enforcement) reduced incidence and severity of chest trauma in Syria. Violence was the most common cause of chest trauma rather than road traffic accidents in this series, this necessitates epidemiologic or multi-institutional studies to know to which degree violence contributes to chest trauma in Syria. The number of fractured ribs can be used as simple indicator of the severity of trauma. And we believe that significant neurotrauma, traffic accidents, hemodynamic status and GCS upon arrival, ICU admission, ventilator use, and complication of therapy are predictors of dismal prognosis.

Introduction and importance Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic disease that spread rapidly throughout the world and became a major public health concern. Approximately 5–12% of COVID-19 patients require admission to the intensive-care unit (ICU), where they often require oxygen therapy and prolonged intubation. Post-intubation laryngotracheal stenosis (PILS) is a complication that occurs in 10–22% of non-COVID-19 patients after prolonged intubation, while the rate of COVID-19 related PILS remains unknown. Additionally, there is still no consensus in the literature regarding the management modalities for PILS following COVID-19. Case presentation Here we report two cases of tracheal stenosis after prolonged intubation due to severe COVID-19 infection. The first patient was admitted to the ICU and intubated for 21 days; 3 months after discharge, he developed a 3 cm long tracheal stenosis that narrowed 70% of the lumen. The second patient was intubated for 2 months and, 4 months after discharge, developed a 2.5 cm long tracheal stenosis that narrowed 80% of the lumen. Clinical discussion In both cases, the diagnosis was confirmed by CT scan and Rigid bronchoscopy; then, they were managed successfully with tracheal resection and reconstruction by end-to-end anastomosis. Conclusion In conclusion, we would like to highlight the importance of suspecting PILS in recovered COVID-19 patients re-presenting with breathing difficulties following weaning from mechanical ventilation; therefore, careful follow-up in such patients is required. Moreover, we would like to point out that the management of tracheal stenosis after COVID-19 appears to be similar to that of tracheal stenosis in general.

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Esophageal duplication cysts are rarely encountered in adult patients. Complete cyst resection is achievable employing video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgical techniques, with low morbidity and excellent cosmesis.

CXRs continue as the primary diagnostic modality in the assessment of patients with penetrating war injuries to the chest. Chest CTs can be omitted in most patients, thus reducing CT imaging case-load substantially, while most clinically significant chest injuries remain sufficiently recognized.