| APPENDIX 14: ABNORMALITIES DETECTED BY CHEST X-RAY |
| ABNORMALITY |
WHAT "ABNORMAL" MAY MEAN |
| Trachea deviated from midline |
- Tension pneumothorax.
- Atelectasis.
- Pleural effusion.
- Consolidation.
- Mediastinal nodes.
- Enlarged thymus in children.
|
| Narrowing of trachea with hourglass appearance and deviation to one side |
|
| Shift of heart |
|
| Hypertrophy of right heart |
- Cor pulmonale.
- Congestive heart failure.
|
| Heart borders obscured by stringy densities |
|
| Solid densities of aorta, possibly indicating calcifications |
|
| Tortuous shape of aorta |
|
|
| Deviation of midchest structures to non-diseased side; deviation to diseased side by
traction |
- Pleural effusion.
- Fibrosis.
- Collapsed lung.
- Tumor.
|
| Gross widening of mid- chest structures |
- Tumors of esophagus, bronchi,lungs, thyroid, thymus, peripheral nerves or lymphoid
tissue.
- Aortic aneurysm.
- Mediastinitis.
- Cor pulmonale.
|
| Break or misalignment of ribs |
- Fractured sternum or ribs.
|
| Widening of spaces between ribs |
|
| Spinal curvature |
|
| Break or misalignment of spine |
|
| Break or misalignment of collar bones |
|
| Shift of lung root to one side |
- Collapsed segments of lung tissue.
|
| Accentuated shadows of lung roots |
- Emphysema.
- Tumor.
- Enlarged lymph nodes.
- Pulmonary abscess.
|
| Spherical or oval density in large bronchial tube |
|
| Visible small segments of bronchial tubes |
|
| ABNORMALITY |
WHAT "ABNORMAL" MAY MEAN |
| Visible lung fields |
- Collapsed segment of lung tissue.
|
| Irregular, patchy densities in lungs |
- Resolving pneumonia.
- Fibrosis.
- Metastatic neoplasm.
- Silicosis.
|
| Elevation of diaphragm |
- Active tuberculosis.
- Pneumonia.
- Pleurisy.
- Acute bronchitis.
- Active abdominal viscera disease.
- Bilateral phrenic-nerve involvement.
- Atelectasis.
|
| Flattening of diaphragm |
|
| Unilateral elevation of either side of diaphragm |
- Possible unilateral phrenic-nerve paresis.
|
| Unilateral elevation of left side of diaphragm |
- Perforated ulcer (rare).
- Gas distention of stomach.
- Splenic flexure of colon.
- Free air in abdomen.
|
