Anatomy Msk · Year 1 · from Anatomy Msk
Case 2: Thoracoabdominal Trauma Assessment
Clinical Image
Source: Wikimedia Commons - Body Cavities - Public Domain
Case Presentation
A 45-year-old woman is brought to the trauma center following a motor vehicle collision. She was the restrained driver in a T-bone collision with impact to the driver's side door. Primary survey reveals decreased breath sounds in the left hemithorax and abdominal distension. Understanding body cavity anatomy, the trauma team systematically evaluates potential injuries. FAST examination reveals free fluid in the peritoneal cavity (abdominal cavity proper), and chest X-ray shows a hemothorax in the left pleural cavity. CT imaging confirms a splenic laceration in the left upper quadrant of the abdominopelvic cavity and rib fractures 8-11 on the left. The patient undergoes left thoracostomy tube placement and emergency splenectomy. Knowledge of body regions and cavities guides the systematic trauma evaluation.
Key Learning Points
- The body is divided into axial (head, neck, trunk) and appendicular (limbs) regions
- The ventral body cavity contains the thoracic cavity (with pleural and pericardial cavities) and abdominopelvic cavity
- The nine-region or four-quadrant system helps localize abdominal pathology
- Trauma assessment follows systematic evaluation of body regions and cavities