Chest x-ray in normal pregnancy
Presentation
Chest pain. 39/40 pregnant.
Patient Data
Age: 30
Gender: Female
From the case:
Chest x-ray in normal pregnancy
X-ray
Frontal
Prominence to the vascular markings. Normal cardiomediastinal contour. Lungs and pleural spaces are clear.
Case Discussion
There are minimal changes to the chest x-ray in a normal pregnancy. Some normal findings in late pregnancy include:
- prominence of the pulmonary vasculature and/or flattened left heart border (due to increased blood volume and cardiac output)
- elevation of the diaphragm
- the cardiac silhouette may appear more "horizontal"