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Chest x-ray review: circulation

Last revised by Liz Silverstone ◉ ◈ on 23 Sep 2024

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Jones J, Silverstone L, Hacking C, et al. Chest x-ray review: circulation. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 24 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-32473

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-32473

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/32473

rID:

32473

Article created:

28 Nov 2014, Jeremy Jones ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Jeremy Jones had no recorded disclosures.

View Jeremy Jones's current disclosures

Last revised:

23 Sep 2024, Liz Silverstone ◉ ◈

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Liz Silverstone had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.

View Liz Silverstone's current disclosures

Revisions:

9 times, by 5 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Chest, Cardiac

Sections:

Approach

Chest x-ray review is a key competency for medical students, junior doctors and other allied health professionals. Using A, B, C, D, E, F is a helpful and systematic method for chest x-ray review where C refers to circulation and assessment of the heart and cardiomediastinal contour.

Summary

introduction
- assessment of the mediastinum
- predominantly about the heart
- remember the other structures in the mediastinum
procedure
- assess the position of the heart
  - is it on the left and is the apex pointing to the left
- assess the heart size
  - PA projection: should be <50% of the chest diameter
  - AP projection: will be artifactually enlarged
- aortic knuckle
  - should be on the left
- upper mediastinal contour
- pulmonary vessels
- hilar structures and the hilar point
  - left hilum usually higher than the right
checklist
- cardiac position
- cardiac size
- aortic arch and upper mediastinum
- hilar vessels

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Chest x-ray review: circulation

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Summary

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Related articles: Approach: CXR (ABCDE)

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