| Subject | Contents |
| Definition | An X-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and the diaphragm. |
| Alternative Names | Chest radiography; Serial chest X-ray; X-ray - chest |
| How the test is performed | The test is performed in a hospital radiology department or in the health care provider's office by an X-ray technician. Two views are usually taken: one in which the X-rays pass through the chest from the back (posterior-anterior view) and one in which the X-rays pass through the chest from one side to the other ( lateral view). You stand in front of the machine and must hold your breath when the X-ray is taken. |
| How to prepare for the test | Inform the health care provider if you are pregnant . Chest X-rays are generally avoided during the 1st and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy . You must wear a hospital gown. You must remove all jewelry. Infants and children: The physical and psychological preparation you can provide for this or any test or procedure depends on your child's age, interests, previous experiences, and level of trust. For specific information regarding how you can prepare your child, see the following topics as they correspond to your child's age:infant test or procedure preparation (birth to 1 year) toddler test or procedure preparation (1 to 3 years) preschooler test or procedure preparation (3 to 6 years) schoolage test or procedure preparation (6 to 12 years) adolescent test or procedure preparation (12 to 18 years) |
| How the test will feel | There is no discomfort. The film plate may feel cold. |
| Why the test is performed | A chest X-ray may be ordered when an person's symptoms include a persistent cough , coughing up blood , chest pain , a chest injury, or difficulty in breathing. The test is also used when tuberculosis , lung cancer , or other chest or lung disease is suspected. A serial chest X-ray (repeated or sequential) may be used to evaluate changes over time if an abnormality found on a chest X-ray (for example, an increase in the size of an abnormality over a period of weeks). |
| Normal Values | |
| What abnormal results mean | In the lungs: collapsed lungcollection of fluid around the lunglung cancerlung tumormalformation of the blood vesselspneumonia 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: osteoporosisfractures of ribs and spine other abnormalities in the ribs and spine Additional conditions under which the test may be performed: achalasiaacute bronchitisacute MIacute mountain sicknessacute pulmonary eosinophilia (Loeffler’s syndrome)adult Still’s diseasealcoholic cardiomyopathyalpha-1 antitrypsin deficiencyanthraxaortic dissectionaortic insufficiencyaortic stenosisARDS (adult respiratory distress syndrome)asbestosisaspergillosisaspiration pneumoniaatelectasisatrial myxoma; leftatrial myxoma; rightatrial septal defectatypical mycobacterial infectionatypical pneumoniablastomycosisbreast cancerbronchial adenomabronchial asthmabronchiectasisbronchiolitisbronchopulmonary dysplasiabyssinosis (cotton dust)Caplan’s syndromecardiac tamponadecerebral abscesschronic bronchitischronic glomerulonephritis CMV pneumoconiosiscoal workers pneumoconiosiscoarctation of the aortacoccidioidomycosis; acute (primary) pulmonarycoccidioidomycosis; chronic pulmonarycoccidioidomycosis; disseminateddiaphragmatic herniadiffuse interstitial pulmonary fibrosisdilated cardiomyopathydisseminated tuberculosis (infectious)drug-induced hypothyroidismdrug-induced lupus erythematosusdrug-induced pulmonary diseaseechinococcusemphysemaempyemaGoodpasture’s syndromeheart failurehistoplasmosis; acute (primary) pulmonaryhistoplasmosis; chronic pulmonaryhistoplasmosis; disseminatedHodgkin’s lymphomahospital-acquired pneumoniahypersensitivity pneumonitishypertensive heart diseasehypertrophic cardiomyopathyhypothyroidismhypothyroidism; primaryhypothyroidism; secondaryidiopathic cardiomyopathyidiopathic diffuse interstitial pulmonary fibrosisindustrial bronchitisinfective endocarditisinhalation anthraxischemic cardiomyopathyleft-sided heart failureLegionnaire’s diseaseLyme disease, secondarymalignant hypertension (arteriolar nephrosclerosis)meningitismesothelioma (benign-fibrous)mesothelioma (malignant)metastatic brain tumormetastatic cancer to the lungmetastatic pleural tumormitral regurgitation; acutemitral regurgitation; chronicmitral stenosismitral valve prolapsemycoplasma pneumoniamyocarditisnecrotizing vasculitisneuroblastomaneurosarcoidosisnon-Hodgkin’s lymphomaoccupational asthmapatent ductus arteriosuspericarditispericarditis; bacterialpericarditis; post-MIperipartum cardiomyopathypneumocystis carinii pneumoniapneumonia in immunocompromised hostpneumonia with lung abscesspremature infantprimary alveolar hypoventilationprimary pulmonary hypertensionpulmonary actinomycosispulmonary alveolar proteinosispulmonary aspergilloma (mycetoma)pulmonary aspergillosis; allergic bronchopulmonary typepulmonary aspergillosis; invasive typepulmonary edemapulmonary emboluspulmonary histiocytosis x (eosinophilic granuloma)pulmonary nocardiosispulmonary valve stenosispulmonary tuberculosispulmonary veno-occlusive diseaseQ fever (early) Q fever (late) renal cell carcinomarespiratory distress syndrome (infants)respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)restrictive cardiomyopathyrheumatoid lung diseaseright-sided heart failuresarcoidosissenile cardiac amyloidsilicosis (classical)silicosis; acuteskin lesion of histoplasmosissolitary pulmonary nodule (benign)spontaneous pneumothoraxSVC obstructionsystemic lupus erythematosussystemic sclerosis (scleroderma)tension pneumothoraxtesticular cancertetralogy of Fallottransient ischemic attack (TIA)transposition of the great vesselstraumatic pneumothoraxventricular septal defectviral pneumoniaWegener’s granulomatosisWilms’ tumor |
| What the risks are | There is low radiation exposure. X-rays are monitored and regulated to provide the minimum amount of radiation exposure needed to produce the image. Most experts feel that the risk is very low compared with the benefits. Pregnant women and children are more sensitive to the risks of the X-ray . |
| Special considerations | There is a general agreement that routine chest X-rays should not be done on healthy people for screening purposes. There is little benefit of a chest X-ray in screening smokers who have no symptoms. |
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