Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Blind spots in CXR

Case 1:
Image gallary:
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Did you see both opacities?


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Difficulties:
1. The perihilar and periarterial opacities can be easily overlooked even if the lesions may be large. Sometimes the large opacities are not dense and the density may be of that of adjacent/ overlying vessel and are easy to misinterprest as normal variants and ignore them.
2. It is easy to miss the second abnormality, especially when the first one is picked with a great difficulty.

Tips:
1. Be careful about any opacity close to the 'normal' hila and pulmonary artery. There should be no large opacity superior/inferior to the hila, although it is slightly prominant due to lobar arteries and veins.
2. When you picked one abnormality, always search for other abnormalities.

1 comment:

AV said...

Ignore the obvious.....