X-ray - Chest x-ray
Frontal
Lateral
Which lobes are most frequently affected?
Left upper lobe : most common ~ 40 - 45 %; right middle lobe : ~ 30 %; right upper lobe : ~ 20 %
How does the appearance of this condition change with the age of the child?
In the immediate postnatal period, the affected lobe tends to appear opaque and homogeneous because of fetal lung fluid or it may show a diffuse reticular pattern that represents distended lymphatic channels filled with fetal lung fluid. Gradually the fluid is reabsorbed and the lobe becomes hyperlucent.
Chest radiographs demonstrate increased translucency of the left lung with mild mediastinal shift to the right side. On the lateral projection, the hyperlucency is confined to the left upper lobe, shifting the oblique fissure posteroinferiorly.