Review areas on chest radiograph
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Manickam A, Yap J, Sharma R, et al. Review areas on chest radiograph. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 21 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-62204
Permalink:
rID:
62204
Article created:
5 Aug 2018,
Appukutty Manickam
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Appukutty Manickam had no recorded disclosures.
View Appukutty Manickam's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Joshua Yap had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Joshua Yap's current disclosures
Revisions:
12 times, by
7 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- Review areas on a chest x-ray
- Review areas on a CXR
- Review areas on chest x-rays
- Chest radiograph review area
- Chest radiograph review areas
- CXR review area
- CXR review areas
- Chest x-ray review areas
- Chest x-ray review area
Review areas on a chest radiograph are common areas for missed findings, and special attention should be paid to them:
lung apices: masses (e.g. Pancoast tumor), pneumothorax
behind the heart: consolidation, masses, hiatus hernia 2
below the diaphragm: free gas, lines and tubes (e.g. nasogastric tube), gastric distension, bowel obstruction
bones and soft tissues: fractures, masses, mastectomy, subcutaneous emphysema, evidence of previous surgery (e.g. axillary clips)
These first four are the classic review areas ref, sometimes the pulmonary hilum is included as an additional fifth region:
pulmonary hilum: mass, lymphadenopathy, vessel enlargement
See also
Quiz questions
error
References
- 1. Elizabeth Puddy, Catherine Hill; Interpretation of the chest radiograph, Continuing Education in Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain, Volume 7, Issue 3, 1 June 2007, Pages 71–75, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjaceaccp/mkm014
- 2. Oestreich AE. A helpful hint for chest radiology: "look behind the heart". (1982) Journal of the National Medical Association. 74 (10): 1029-31. Pubmed
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Review area
- Assessment of bones and soft tissue on chest x-ray
- Lines and tubes (radiograph)
- Assessment of pulmonary hila on chest x-ray (approach)
- Assessment of cardiomediastinal contours on chest x-ray (approach)
- Apical zone
- Adult chest radiograph pathology checklist
- Systematic chest radiograph assessment (approach)
- Assessment of chest x-ray technical adequacy (approach)
- Apical chest mass
- Assessment of lungs, pleura and airways on chest x-ray (approach)
Cases:
- Difficult-to-detect pulmonary nodule
- Mastectomy
- Normal chest radiograph
- Normal chest radiograph
- Normal chest radiograph
- Achalasia
- Underinspiration and poor positioning mimicking lung pathology in a pediatric patient
- T1b apical lung cancer
- Dense hilum sign
- Left apical lung cancer
- Shoulder dislocation (trauma chest x-ray)
- Lung cancer - retrocardiac
- Left lower lobe pneumonia - retrocardiac consolidation
Multiple choice questions:
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