What is Retrosternal clear space?
What is Retrosternal clear space?
The retrosternal space (RSS) has been described as one of the two clear spaces seen on a lateral chest radiograph where the lungs meet behind the sternum (the first clear space); the second clear space being the retrocardiac space where the lungs meet behind the heart (Figure 1).
Why do you do a left lateral chest X-ray?
The lateral chest view can be particularly useful in assessing the retrosternal and retrocardiac airspaces. If locating a specific pulmonary opacity within the chest cavity, it would be useful for requesting doctors to ensure that the side of the opacity is mentioned in their clinical notes.
What is increased Retrosternal airspace?
Increased retrosternal airspace is an indicator of hyperinflation of the lungs and is usually due to emphysema.
What is lung hyperinflation?
Hyperinflated lungs occur when air gets trapped in the lungs and causes them to overinflate. Hyperinflated lungs can be caused by blockages in the air passages or by air sacs that are less elastic, which interferes with the expulsion of air from the lungs.
What can cause Retrosternal pain?
Retrosternal chest pain can be a symptom of a condition affecting the heart and major blood vessels such as:
- Angina. Angina is chest discomfort triggered by a reduced flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart.
- Myocardial infarction.
- Pericarditis.
- Pulmonary embolism.
- Atrial fibrillation.
What is meant by lung opacity on a chest X-ray?
Therefore, an opacity on a chest X-ray in a patient with cough and fever presenting to the emergency room will most likely be a pneumonia. A more rounded opacity in a long time smoker is more likely to be a cancer.
How does the lateral view of a chest X-ray help?
This can be helpful in settings where the single view is limited in localizing pathology (i.e. identifying the exact lobe of a lobar pneumonia in the right lung). The position of the spine on the lateral view can help inform is direction (if the image is taken from the right, the spine will be on the right side of the film and vice versa).
Where is the retrosternal space on a chest X-ray?
The retrosternal space refers to the area right behind the sternum. Normally, there is a relatively clear crescent just behind the sternum and anterior to the shadow of the ascending aorta. If a mass is present here, it can suggest the presence of underlying pathology.
What are the abnormalities of a chest X-ray?
Chest X-ray Abnormalities Lung abnormalities 1 Lung zones. Assess the lungs by comparing the upper, middle and lower lung zones on the left and right. 2 Air bronchogram. If an area of lung is consolidated it becomes dense and white. 3 Small lung zone abnormalities. 4 Bilateral lung abnormalities. 5 Unilateral low density. …
What does chest X-ray mean for lung opacity?
Chest x-ray showing ‘opacity’ – British Lung Foun… Chest x-ray showing ‘opacity’ – British Lung Foun… Hi..I have had a chronic cough for several months and my Dr put it down to allergies and GERD but sent me for an x-ray to be sure. The x-ray has shown a small ill defined area of opacity in the lower right lung.
What does a lateral chest X ray show?
A normal lateral examination of the chest X-ray is shown to exemplify the positioning of the cardiac chambers showing the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) anteriorly, the left atrium (LA) posteriorly and superiorly, the left ventricle (LV) posteriorly and inferiorly and the inferior vena cava (IVC) as a separate shadow posterior to the LV.
How big is the retrosternal airspace on a chest radiograph?
The retrosternal airspace is seen as a normal lucency between the posterior aspect of the sternum and anterior aspect of the ascending aorta on lateral chest radiographs. This space normally measures less than 2.5 cm in width. Increased retrosternal airspace is a sign of pulmonary emphysema,…
What does the silhouette sign on a chest X-ray mean?
It is normal to see this silhouette, and its absence—deemed the silhouette sign—indicates a problem, usually in the lung. For example, a radiologist may describe the border of the heart as being “silhouetted” or “obscured” by an adjacent lung process. Example of the silhouette sign on chest X-ray.