Chest x-ray lines and stripes
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Bell D, Bickle I, Knipe H, et al. Chest x-ray lines and stripes. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 26 Jan 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-14453
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14453
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Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Jeremy Jones had no recorded disclosures.
View Jeremy Jones's current disclosures
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Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Daniel J Bell had no recorded disclosures.
View Daniel J Bell's current disclosures
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5 times, by
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Synonyms:
- CXR lines and stripes
- Chest xray lines and stripes
- Chest x ray lines and stripes
Chest x-ray lines and stripes are important to recognize on chest radiographs.
Lines are usually less than 1 mm in width and are comprised of tissue outlined on either side by air and typically represent pleural-covered structures within the middle and superior mediastinum 1,2:
Stripes, on the other hand, are thicker than lines, and are seen when these thicker anatomical structures are outlined by air 1,2:
- right paratracheal stripe
- left paratracheal stripe
- posterior tracheal stripe / tracheo-esophageal stripe
- posterior wall of bronchus intermedius
A third important part of chest x-ray lines and stripes are the interfaces, although confusingly some are known as 'lines/stripes', which are the borders of solid structures with air 2:
- right paraspinal line
- left paraspinal line
- aortopulmonary (aortic-pulmonary) stripe
- aortopulmonary window
- azygo-esophageal recess
Recognition of any abnormality in the various lines and stripes on chest x-ray is invaluable in ensuring the appropriateness in further investigation with CT 1.
References
- 1. Gibbs JM, Chandrasekhar CA, Ferguson EC et-al. Lines and stripes: where did they go?-From conventional radiography to CT. Radiographics. 2007;27 (1): 33-48. Radiographics (full text) - doi:10.1148/rg.271065073 - Pubmed citation
- 2. Marano R, Liguori C, Savino G et-al. Cardiac silhouette findings and mediastinal lines and stripes: radiograph and CT scan correlation. Chest. 01;139 (5): 1186-96. doi:10.1378/chest.10-0660 - Pubmed citation
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Cases:
- Hematoma following central line placement
- Arterial line fracture
- Hair artifact
- Busy chest radiograph
- Anterior and posterior junctional lines
- Anastomotic dehiscence ("stump leak") post lung transplant
- Paratracheal stripe
- Azygo-oesophageal recess (chest x-ray)
- Anterior and posterior junctional lines (chest x-ray)
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