Radiology of the Thorax

Question 1

Which side of the patient is placed closer to the film in a lateral view

Answer 1

Left side of patient

Question 2

What structures are magnified in a lateral view

Answer 2

Right side structures

Question 3

In which view do you see heart magnification

Answer 3

AP view

Question 4

Why is a PA view taken with heart closest to film

Answer 4

To minimize heart magnification

Question 5

The lungs being made up of predominantly air causes them to be what on images

Answer 5

largely radiolucent

Question 6

What are the branching linear opaities and round denser opacities seen in a lung scan

Answer 6

Pulmonary vessels

Primarily the pulmonary arteries

Question 7

When do you see the round opacities in a lung scan

Answer 7

When the vessels run parallel to the xray beam

Question 8

About which point do you stop sing bronchi in pa radiographs

Answer 8

difificult to see beyond medial 1/3rd

Question 9

What fissure(s) of the lung can you see in a frontal film

Answer 9

right minor fissure (because it parallels the beam)

Question 10

what fissure(s) of the lung can you see on the lateral film

Answer 10

oblique and minor fissures

Question 11

Other than vascular markings how should lungs appear on film

Answer 11

lucent

Question 12

If abnomral fluid or cells fill alveoli how can you tell? and what is this termed?

Answer 12

lung becomes more opaque

Air space disease

Question 13

If it arrises next to a fluid dense structure (diaphragm, heart) what can an air space disease cause the image to look like

Answer 13

causes a disappearance of the normal profile of the fluid dense structure

Question 14

What is the name for the loss of the normal interference or border definition

Answer 14

silhouette sign

Question 15

If you lose the profile of the Right hemidiaphragm which lobe is involved with an air space disease?

Answer 15

right lower lobe

Question 16

If you lose the profile of the right heart border which lobe is involved with an air space disease?

Answer 16

right middle lobe

Question 17

If you lose the profile of the left heart border which lobe is involved with an air space disease?

Answer 17

Lingula

Question 18

If you lose the profile of the left hemidiaphragm which lobe is involved with an air space disease?

Answer 18

left lower lobe

Question 19

If you lose the profile of the aortic arch/ upper left mediastinum which lobe is involved with an air space disease?

Answer 19

Left upper lobe

Question 20

If you lose the profile of the upper right mediastinum which lobe is involved with an air space disease?

Answer 20

RIght upper lobe

Question 21

What type of injury can mimic an air space disease and why?

Answer 21

Loss of air inside a part of the lung

collapse leaves underlying fluid density of lung tissues

Question 22

What is normally contained in the pleural space and what 3 things do you look for under pathologic conditions

Answer 22

Normally: fluid (not visible on radiographs)

Pathologic: Fluid, air, tumor (or any combination)

Question 23

What is the first space filled by fluid in the pleural space? And in what view is it best visualized if only a small amount is present

Answer 23

Costophrenic sulcus

lateral film

Question 24

When can Fluid in pleural space be seen on a frontal film

Answer 24

if larger than a few hundred millimeters

if it gets a lot bigger can ovliterate entire contour of diaphragm

Question 25

How can you identify an pneumothorax and why?

Answer 25

you will now see the thin line of the visceral pleura

because their is air on both sides of the pleural membrane

Question 26

Why are only chamber size, major contours, and borders of the cardiovascular system observed in radiograph

Answer 26

Because of bone soft tissue air and fat densities

Question 27

What chambers of the heart can be made out on a pa view

Answer 27

Right atrium: convex bulge right heart border

Left ventricle makes left heart border

Rigth ventricles( not seen in proflie)
Left atrium(posterior and also not seen on pa)

Question 28

What are the 3 buldges on the left heart border

Answer 28

inferior bulge: left ventricle

Middle bulge: Main pulmonary artery

Superior bulge: aortic nob

Question 29

What is the singular bulge and straight ascending line on the right heart border

Answer 29

Bulge: Right atrium

Straight Line: Superior vena cava

Question 30

what can identify enlargement of heart

Answer 30

protrusion of atrial appendag beyond normal contour of straight left heart border

posterior displacement of esophagus

Question 31

What composes the anterior border on a lateral view of the heart

Answer 31

right ventricle

Question 32

What is the path seen on a lateral radiograph of the aorta

Answer 32

archers superiorly posterly and descends just anterior to vertebral bodies

Question 33

Where can the left pulmonary artery bee seen

Answer 33

arches posteriorly behind mainstem bronchus to form an arch just inferior to aortic arch

Question 34

Where does the right pulmonary artery lie on a lateral projection

Answer 34

Lies anterior to the carina

Question 35

What comprises a majority of the hilar shadows

Answer 35

Pulmonary arteries

Question 36

What contributes to the disity inferior to the hilar shadows

Answer 36

Pulmonary veins

Question 37

Where do pulmonary artieres generally become invisible

Answer 37

barely visible in outer 3rd of lung field

Question 38

What path do pulmonary arteries generally follow

Answer 38

same course as bronchi