Thoracic Radiography of Respiratory Cases

Introduction

Radiography is the most used tool in the approach, screening and diagnosis of thoracic pathology. The main advantage over other more recent techniques is the inherent revelation of the morphology of thoracic structures. Its sensitivity and specificity can be increased with the use of special techniques, employment of contrast medium and follow-up exposures. Its limitations are the inability to differentiate between structures of the same radiographic density and the fact that it is a representation of a 3-dimensional structure in a 2-dimensional medium. As with all imaging techniques it does not allow for the evaluation of function although it may be possible to estimate this from radiographic appearance or with the use of special procedures such as contrast media techniques. [...]

Key Points

• The clinician should give careful thought as to when and how to employ thoracic radiography
• There is a wide variety of pharmacological agents and combinations available for restraint during radiography
• The interpretation protocol for thoracic radiography has recently been updated and expanded
• Various examples of thoracic pathology are illustrated