Radiology of the Thorax Flashcards
Which side of the patient is placed closer to the film in a lateral view
Left side of patient
What structures are magnified in a lateral view
Right side structures
In which view do you see heart magnification
AP view
Why is a PA view taken with heart closest to film
To minimize heart magnification
The lungs being made up of predominantly air causes them to be what on images
largely radiolucent
What are the branching linear opaities and round denser opacities seen in a lung scan
Pulmonary vessels
Primarily the pulmonary arteries
When do you see the round opacities in a lung scan
When the vessels run parallel to the xray beam
About which point do you stop sing bronchi in pa radiographs
difificult to see beyond medial 1/3rd
What fissure(s) of the lung can you see in a frontal film
right minor fissure (because it parallels the beam)
what fissure(s) of the lung can you see on the lateral film
oblique and minor fissures
Other than vascular markings how should lungs appear on film
lucent
If abnomral fluid or cells fill alveoli how can you tell? and what is this termed?
lung becomes more opaque
Air space disease
If it arrises next to a fluid dense structure (diaphragm, heart) what can an air space disease cause the image to look like
causes a disappearance of the normal profile of the fluid dense structure
What is the name for the loss of the normal interference or border definition
silhouette sign
If you lose the profile of the Right hemidiaphragm which lobe is involved with an air space disease?
right lower lobe
If you lose the profile of the right heart border which lobe is involved with an air space disease?
right middle lobe
If you lose the profile of the left heart border which lobe is involved with an air space disease?
Lingula
If you lose the profile of the left hemidiaphragm which lobe is involved with an air space disease?
left lower lobe
If you lose the profile of the aortic arch/ upper left mediastinum which lobe is involved with an air space disease?
Left upper lobe
If you lose the profile of the upper right mediastinum which lobe is involved with an air space disease?
RIght upper lobe
What type of injury can mimic an air space disease and why?
Loss of air inside a part of the lung
collapse leaves underlying fluid density of lung tissues
What is normally contained in the pleural space and what 3 things do you look for under pathologic conditions
Normally: fluid (not visible on radiographs)
Pathologic: Fluid, air, tumor (or any combination)
What is the first space filled by fluid in the pleural space? And in what view is it best visualized if only a small amount is present
Costophrenic sulcus
lateral film
When can Fluid in pleural space be seen on a frontal film
if larger than a few hundred millimeters
if it gets a lot bigger can ovliterate entire contour of diaphragm
How can you identify an pneumothorax and why?
you will now see the thin line of the visceral pleura
because their is air on both sides of the pleural membrane
Why are only chamber size, major contours, and borders of the cardiovascular system observed in radiograph
Because of bone soft tissue air and fat densities
What chambers of the heart can be made out on a pa view
Right atrium: convex bulge right heart border
Left ventricle makes left heart border
Rigth ventricles( not seen in proflie) Left atrium(posterior and also not seen on pa)
What are the 3 buldges on the left heart border
inferior bulge: left ventricle
Middle bulge: Main pulmonary artery
Superior bulge: aortic nob
What is the singular bulge and straight ascending line on the right heart border
Bulge: Right atrium
Straight Line: Superior vena cava
what can identify enlargement of heart
protrusion of atrial appendag beyond normal contour of straight left heart border
posterior displacement of esophagus
What composes the anterior border on a lateral view of the heart
right ventricle
What is the path seen on a lateral radiograph of the aorta
archers superiorly posterly and descends just anterior to vertebral bodies
Where can the left pulmonary artery bee seen
arches posteriorly behind mainstem bronchus to form an arch just inferior to aortic arch
Where does the right pulmonary artery lie on a lateral projection
Lies anterior to the carina
What comprises a majority of the hilar shadows
Pulmonary arteries
What contributes to the disity inferior to the hilar shadows
Pulmonary veins
Where do pulmonary artieres generally become invisible
barely visible in outer 3rd of lung field
What path do pulmonary arteries generally follow
same course as bronchi
