Radiology of the Chest Flashcards
What is the standard view of the chest
Erect PA (Postero-anterior) chest xray Beams are passing from back to front
What does a lateral XRay do?
Gives a better view of lesions lying behind the heart or diaphragm which may not be visible on a PA X Ray
When are antero-posterior views taken
At the bedside when the patient is too ill
What confirms that the film has been taken without any rotation artefact
Symmetry between the medial end of both clavicles and the thoracic spine
What can cause collapse of the lung
Obstruction of a bronchus by carcinoma
foreign body
mucus plug
What would indicate a right middle lobe collapse on a CXR
Lack of definition of the right heart border
What indicates a left lower lobe collapse
Triangular area of increased density behind the heart shadow
What does consolidation appear as on a CXR
Areas of opacification
What can cause consolidation
Pneumonia
Fluid (Pulmonary oedema)
Blood (pulmonary haemorrhage
Tumour (Alveolar cell carcinoma)
What is cavitation
The presence of an area of radiolucency within a mass lesion
What is cavitation a feature of
Bronchial carcinoma (squamous carcinoma) Tuberculosis Lung abscess Pulmonary infarcts Wegener's granulomatosis Pnuemonia
What does advanced interstitial fibrosis result in
A honeycomb pattern with diffuse opacification containing multiple circular translucencies a few millimetres in diameter
What are the most common causes of mediastinal masses?
Metastatic tumours
When is ultrasonography of the chest useful
In assessing lesions of the pleura and localising loculated pleural effusions
Guiding chest tube insertion
When is CT scanning a key investigation
In the staging of lung cancer
Detecting and determining the extent of bronchiectasis
