Retrocardiac sail sign
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Botz B, Bell D, Retrocardiac sail sign. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 18 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-72610
Permalink:
rID:
72610
Article created:
2 Dec 2019,
Bálint Botz
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Bálint Botz had no recorded disclosures.
View Bálint Botz's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Frank Gaillard had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures
Revisions:
3 times, by
3 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- Retrocardiac sail signs
The retrocardiac sail sign represents the characteristic and highly specific appearance of left lower lobe collapse on a frontal chest x-ray.
Radiographic appearance
The collapsed, medially displaced left lower lobe is represented by a triangular area of increased density with sharp margins, superimposed on the heart shadow which resembles the unfurled sail of a yacht. The heart contours remain preserved (no silhouette sign), while the contour of the left hemidiaphragm is at least partially effaced 1.
References
- 1. Rajat Chowdhury, Iain Wilson, Christopher Rofe, Graham Lloyd-Jones. Radiology at a Glance. (2010) ISBN: 9781405192200
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