Chest X-ray

Alternative names:

chest radiography; serial chest X-ray; X-ray of the chest

Normal values:

The X-ray will show normal structures for the age of the patient.

What abnormal results mean:

In the lungs:

• collapsed lung
• collection of fluid around the lung
• lung cancer
• lung tumor
• malformation of the blood vessels
• pneumonia
• scarring of lung tissue
• tuberculosis

In the heart:

• size and shape of the heart determined
• position and shape of the large arteries

In the bones:

• osteoporosis
• fractures of ribs and spine
• other abnormalities in the ribs and spine

Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:

• achalasia
• acute bronchitis
• acute MI
• acute mountain sickness
• acute pulmonary eosinophilia (Loeffler's syndrome)
• adult Still's disease
• alcoholic cardiomyopathy
• alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
• anthrax
• aortic dissection
• aortic insufficiency
• aortic stenosis
• ARDS (adult respiratory distress syndrome)
• asbestosis
• aspergillosis
• aspiration pneumonia
• atelectasis
• atrial myxoma; left
• atrial myxoma; right
• atrial septal defect
• atypical mycobacterial infection
• atypical pneumonia
• blastomycosis
• breast cancer
• bronchial adenoma
• bronchial asthma
• bronchiectasis
• bronchiolitis
• bronchopulmonary dysplasia
• byssinosis (cotton dust)
• Caplan's syndrome
• cardiac tamponade
• cerebral abscess
• chronic bronchitis
• chronic glomerulonephritis
• CMV pneumoconiosis
• coal workers pneumoconiosis
• coarctation of the aorta
• coccidioidomycosis; acute (primary) pulmonary
• coccidioidomycosis; chronic pulmonary
• coccidioidomycosis; disseminated
• diaphragmatic hernia
• diffuse interstitial pulmonary fibrosis
• dilated cardiomyopathy
• disseminated tuberculosis (infectious)
• drug-induced hypothyroidism
• drug-induced lupus erythematosus
• drug-induced pulmonary disease
• echinococcus
• emphysema
• empyema
• Goodpasture's syndrome
• heart failure
• histoplasmosis; acute (primary) pulmonary
• histoplasmosis; chronic pulmonary
• histoplasmosis; disseminated
• Hodgkin's lymphoma
• hospital-acquired pneumonia
• hypersensitivity pneumonitis
• hypertensive heart disease
• hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• hypothyroidism
• hypothyroidism; primary
• hypothyroidism; secondary
• idiopathic cardiomyopathy
• idiopathic diffuse interstitial pulmonary fibrosis
• industrial bronchitis
• infective endocarditis
• inhalation anthrax
• ischemic cardiomyopathy
• left-sided heart failure
• Legionnaire's disease
• Lyme disease, secondary
• malignant hypertension (arteriolar nephrosclerosis)
• meningitis
• mesothelioma (benign-fibrous)
• mesothelioma (malignant)
• metastatic brain tumor
• metastatic cancer to the lung
• metastatic pleural tumor
• mitral regurgitation; acute
• mitral regurgitation; chronic
• mitral stenosis
• mitral valve prolapse
• mycoplasma pneumonia
• myocarditis
• necrotizing vasculitis
• neuroblastoma
• neurosarcoidosis
• non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• occupational asthma
• patent ductus arteriosus
• pericarditis
• pericarditis; bacterial
• pericarditis; post-MI
• peripartum cardiomyopathy
• pneumocystis carinii pneumonia
• pneumonia in immunocompromised host
• pneumonia with lung abscess
• premature infant
• primary alveolar hypoventilation
• primary pulmonary hypertension
• pulmonary actinomycosis
• pulmonary alveolar proteinosis
• pulmonary aspergilloma (mycetoma)
• pulmonary aspergillosis; allergic bronchopulmonary type
• pulmonary aspergillosis; invasive type
• pulmonary edema
• pulmonary embolus
• pulmonary histiocytosis x (eosinophilic granuloma)
• pulmonary nocardiosis
• pulmonary valve stenosis
• pulmonary tuberculosis
• pulmonary veno-occlusive disease
• Q fever (early)
• Q fever (late)
• renal cell carcinoma
• respiratory distress syndrome (infants)
• respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
• restrictive cardiomyopathy
• rheumatoid lung disease
• right-sided heart failure
• sarcoidosis
• senile cardiac amyloid
• silicosis (classical)
• silicosis; acute
• skin lesion of histoplasmosis
• solitary pulmonary nodule (benign)
• solitary pulmonary nodule (benign)
• spontaneous pneumothorax
• SVC obstruction
• systemic lupus erythematosus
• systemic sclerosis (scleroderma)
• tension pneumothorax
• testicular cancer
• tetralogy of Fallot
• transient ischemic attack (TIA)
• transposition of the great vessels
• traumatic pneumothorax
• ventricular septal defect
• viral pneumonia
• Wegener's granulomatosis
• Wilms' tumor