Plain X-rays of the Adult Chest: Airspace Opacification

Image Interpretation - Plain X-rays of the Adult Chest: Airspace Opacification
Session Overview
Description
This session will look at airspace disease. It will focus on practical aspects of identification of airspace pathology on chest radiographs, and consider the possible causes for the appearances. Radiographic case studies/examples will be used to demonstrate some of the important features.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Describe the lobar anatomy of the chest as demonstrated on frontal chest radiographs
• Define the terms: consolidation, collapse, atelectasis and air bronchogram
• Describe and localise pulmonary airspace disease using the 'silhouette sign'
• Describe the common causes of airspace opacification
• Discuss how the clinical presentation alters the likely diagnosis in patients with airspace disease
   

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should complete:

• Image Interpretation - Plain X-rays of the Adult Chest: Introduction
• Image Interpretation - Plain X-rays of the Adult Chest: General Anatomy and Physiology
• Image Interpretation - Plain X-rays of the Adult Chest: The Normal Chest Radiograph
   

Pulmonary airspace pathology is a very common finding on chest radiography. Over the following pages this session shall:

• Revisit the anatomy of the lung, to understand what is meant by the pulmonary airspaces
• Discuss the main patterns of airspace disease in terms of 'consolidation' and 'collapse', and how to recognise them
• Discuss what the causes of airspace pathology are, and how to recognise them on a chest radiograph
• Look at the lobar anatomy of the lung in terms of locating airspace disease