Normal respiratory structures on chest radiograph.
What is an x-ray?
Chest radiograph or x-ray is a projection radiograph of the chest used to
diagnose conditions affecting the chest, its contents, and nearby structures.
Like all methods of radiography, chest radiography employs ionizing radiation in
the form of x-rays to generate images of the chest
The main regions where a chest X-ray may identify problems may
be summarized as ABCDEF by their first letters:
Airways, including hilar adenopathy or enlargement
Breast shadows
Bones, e.g. rib fractures and lytic bone lesions
Cardiac silhoutte, detecting cardiac enlargement
Costophrenic angles, including pleural effusions
Diaphragm, e.g. evidence of free air
Edges, e.g. apices for fibrosis, pneumothorax, pleural thickening or plaques
Extrathoracic tissues
Fields (lung parenchyma), being evidence of alveolar filling
Failure, e.g. alveolar air space disease with prominent vascularity with or without
pleural effusions
HOW DIFFERENT TISSUES APPEARS ON X-RAY CHEST
AIR ------ JET BLACK (AIR IN LUNG AND GUT)
FAT------MODERATELY BLACK (FAT IN S/C TISSUE)
WATER ----- GRAY (NEITHER BLACK NOR WHITE)
MUSCLES---- SLIGHT WHITE
BONES ----- WHITE
CALCIFICATION---- DENSE WHITE
DIFFERENT VIEWS
PA view (poster anterior view)
AP view (anteroposterior view)
Lateral view
NORMAL MEDIASTINAL ANATOMY
NORMAL LUNG ANATOMY
NORMAL HEART ANATOMY
NORMAL CHEST WALL ANATOMY
SKELETAL LOCALIZATION
COUNTING OF ANTERIOR AND POSTERIOR RIBS
NORMAL CHEST X-RAY
Breast shadow in female
MEDIASTINAL ANATOMY
SUPERIOR MEDIASTINUM
MAJOR VESSELS, TRACHEA AND TRACHEOBRONCHEAL ANATOMY
INFERIOR MEDIASTINUM
ANTERIOR MEDIASTINUM
RETROSTERNAL SPACE
MIDDLE MEDIASTINUM
HEART, GREAT VESSELS
POSTERIOR MEDIASTINUM
DTA, ESOPHAGUS, IVC
FALSE WIDENED MEDIASTINUM
LATERAL SURFACE AND RADIOGRAPHIC
NORMAL MEDIASTINAL AND LUNG ANATOMY
FRONTAL SURFACE AND RADIOGRAPHIC
NORMAL CARDIAC ANATOMY
Cardiothoracic ratio
The transverse diameter of the heart, as determined by x-ray
examination, compared with that of the thoracic cage, used to help
determine enlargement of the heart.
CARDIOPHRENIC ANGLES
AORTIC KNUCKLE - AOA
NORMAL OUTLINE OF TRACHEA
NORMAL OUTLINE OF MAIN
BRONCHI
BRONCHOVASCULAR MARKINGS
RIGHT LATERAL VIEW – RIGHT LUNG
RIGHT UPPER LOBE
RIGHT MIDDLE LOBE
RIGHT LOWER LOBE
LEFT LATERAL VIEW – LEFT LUNG
LEFT UPPER LOBE
LEFT LOWER LOBE
CENTRAL HILAR STRUCTURES
NORMAL DIAPHRAGM SHOWING:
LEVELS OF DIAPHRAGM
COSTOPHRENIC ANGLES