Chest X-rays - Mayo Clinic

If you go to your doctor or the emergency room with chest pain, a chest injury or shortness of breath, you will typically get a chest X-ray. The ... COVID-19:Advice,updatesandvaccineoptions Weareopenforsafein-personcare. Learnmore: MayoClinicfactsaboutcoronavirusdisease2019(COVID-19) OurCOVID-19patientandvisitorguidelines,plustrustedhealthinformation Lateston COVID-19vaccination bysite: Arizonapatientvaccinationupdates Arizona, Floridapatientvaccinationupdates Florida, Rochesterpatientvaccinationupdates Rochesterand MayoClinicHealthSystempatientvaccinationupdates MCHS Skiptositenavigation SkiptoContent ThiscontentdoesnothaveanEnglishversion.ThiscontentdoesnothaveanArabicversion. SectionsforChestX-raysAboutDoctors&Departments Print Overview ChestX-ray Openpop-updialogbox Close ChestX-ray ChestX-ray AchestX-rayhelpsdetectproblemswithyourheartandlungs.ThechestX-rayontheleftisnormal.Theimageontherightshowsamassintherightlung. ChestX-raysproduceimagesofyourheart,lungs,bloodvessels,airways,andthebonesofyourchestandspine.ChestX-rayscanalsorevealfluidinoraroundyourlungsorairsurroundingalung. Ifyougotoyourdoctorortheemergencyroomwithchestpain,achestinjuryorshortnessofbreath,youwilltypicallygetachestX-ray.Theimagehelpsyourdoctordeterminewhetheryouhaveheartproblems,acollapsedlung,pneumonia,brokenribs,emphysema,canceroranyofseveralotherconditions. SomepeoplehaveaseriesofchestX-raysdoneovertimetotrackwhetherahealthproblemisgettingbetterorworse.Products&ServicesSignupforEmail:GetYourFreeResource–CopingwithCancer Whyit'sdoneChestX-raysareacommontypeofexam.AchestX-rayisoftenamongthefirstproceduresyou'llhaveifyourdoctorsuspectsheartorlungdisease.AchestX-raycanalsobeusedtocheckhowyouarerespondingtotreatment. AchestX-raycanrevealmanythingsinsideyourbody,including: Theconditionofyourlungs.ChestX-rayscandetectcancer,infectionoraircollectinginthespacearoundalung,whichcancausethelungtocollapse.Theycanalsoshowchroniclungconditions,suchasemphysemaorcysticfibrosis,aswellascomplicationsrelatedtotheseconditions. Heart-relatedlungproblems.ChestX-rayscanshowchangesorproblemsinyourlungsthatstemfromheartproblems.Forinstance,fluidinyourlungscanbearesultofcongestiveheartfailure. Thesizeandoutlineofyourheart.Changesinthesizeandshapeofyourheartmayindicateheartfailure,fluidaroundtheheartorheartvalveproblems. Bloodvessels.Becausetheoutlinesofthelargevesselsnearyourheart—theaortaandpulmonaryarteriesandveins—arevisibleonX-rays,theymayrevealaorticaneurysms,otherbloodvesselproblemsorcongenitalheartdisease. Calciumdeposits.ChestX-rayscandetectthepresenceofcalciuminyourheartorbloodvessels.Itspresencemayindicatefatsandothersubstancesinyourvessels,damagetoyourheartvalves,coronaryarteries,heartmuscleortheprotectivesacthatsurroundstheheart.Calcifiednodulesinyourlungsaremostoftenfromanold,resolvedinfection. Fractures.RiborspinefracturesorotherproblemswithbonemaybeseenonachestX-ray. Postoperativechanges.ChestX-raysareusefulformonitoringyourrecoveryafteryou'vehadsurgeryinyourchest,suchasonyourheart,lungsoresophagus.Yourdoctorcanlookatanylinesortubesthatwereplacedduringsurgerytocheckforairleaksandareasoffluidorairbuildup. Apacemaker,defibrillatororcatheter.Pacemakersanddefibrillatorshavewiresattachedtoyourhearttohelpcontrolyourheartrateandrhythm.Cathetersaresmalltubesusedtodelivermedicationsorfordialysis.AchestX-rayusuallyistakenafterplacementofsuchmedicaldevicestomakesureeverythingispositionedcorrectly. MoreInformationAbdominalaorticaneurysmAnginaAnthraxAorticaneurysmAorticvalveregurgitationAorticvalvestenosisARDSAsbestosisAtrialflutterBladdercancerBreastcancerBrokenheartsyndromeBronchiolitisBurnsCardiogenicshockCardiomyopathyCoarctationoftheaortaCongenitalheartdefectsinchildrenCongenitalheartdiseaseinadultsDiabeticketoacidosisDilatedcardiomyopathyDresslersyndromeEbsteinanomalyEisenmengersyndromeEmphysemaEndocarditisEndometrialcancerEnlargedbreastsinmen(gynecomastia)EnlargedheartEpiglottitisEyemelanomaGranulomatosiswithpolyangiitisHeartdiseaseHeartmurmursHornersyndromeHuntersyndromeHypercalcemiaItchyskin(pruritus)Legionnaires'diseaseLivercancerMerkelcellcarcinomaMesotheliomaMitralvalvediseaseMitralvalveprolapseMitralvalvestenosisMultisysteminflammatorysyndromeinchildren(MIS-C)MyocarditisPatentductusarteriosus(PDA)PectusexcavatumPericardialeffusionPericarditisPleurisyPneumonitisPneumothoraxPulmonaryedemaPulmonaryembolismPulmonaryfibrosisPulmonaryhypertensionQfeverRecurrentbreastcancerRespiratorysyncytialvirus(RSV)Sjogren'ssyndromeSuddencardiacarrestSwollenlymphnodesTetralogyofFallotThoracicaorticaneurysmTranspositionofthegreatarteriesTricuspidvalveregurgitationTuberculosisVentricularfibrillationVentricularseptaldefect(VSD)WhoopingcoughWilms'tumorShowmorerelatedinformation RequestanAppointmentatMayoClinic RisksYoumaybeconcernedaboutradiationexposurefromchestX-rays,especiallyifyouhavethemregularly.ButtheamountofradiationfromachestX-rayislow—evenlowerthanwhatyou'reexposedtothroughnaturalsourcesofradiationintheenvironment. EventhoughthebenefitsofanX-rayoutweightherisk,youmaybegivenaprotectiveapronifyouneedmultipleimages.Tellyourdoctorifyou'repregnantormightbepregnant.Theprocedurecanbeperformedinawaytoprotectyourabdomenfromtheradiation. HowyouprepareBeforethechestX-ray,yougenerallyundressfromthewaistupandwearanexamgown.You'llneedtoremovejewelryfromthewaistup,too,sincebothclothingandjewelrycanobscuretheX-rayimages. WhatyoucanexpectDuringtheprocedure,yourbodyispositionedbetweenamachinethatproducestheX-raysandaplatethatcreatestheimagedigitallyorwithX-rayfilm.Youmaybeaskedtomoveintodifferentpositionsinordertotakeviewsfromboththefrontandthesideofyourchest. Duringthefrontview,youstandagainsttheplate,holdyourarmsuportothesidesandrollyourshouldersforward.TheX-raytechnicianmayaskyoutotakeadeepbreathandholditforseveralseconds.Holdingyourbreathafterinhalinghelpsyourheartandlungsshowupmoreclearlyontheimage. Duringthesideviews,youturnandplaceoneshoulderontheplateandraiseyourhandsoveryourhead.Again,youmaybeaskedtotakeadeepbreathandholdit. HavingX-raystakenisgenerallypainless.Youdon'tfeelanysensationastheradiationpassesthroughyourbody.Ifyouhavetroublestanding,youmaybeabletohavetheexamwhileseatedorlyingdown. ResultsAchestX-rayproducesablack-and-whiteimagethatshowstheorgansinyourchest.Structuresthatblockradiationappearwhite,andstructuresthatletradiationthroughappearblack. Yourbonesappearwhitebecausetheyareverydense.Yourheartalsoappearsasalighterarea.Yourlungsarefilledwithairandblockverylittleradiation,sotheyappearasdarkerareasontheimages. Aradiologist—adoctortrainedtointerpretX-raysandotherimagingexams—analyzestheimages,lookingforcluesthatmaysuggestifyouhaveheartfailure,fluidaroundyourheart,cancer,pneumoniaoranothercondition. Yourowndoctorwilldiscusstheresultswithyouaswellaswhattreatmentsorothertestsorproceduresmaybenecessary. ByMayoClinicStaff RequestanAppointmentatMayoClinic Doctors&Departments May02,2020 Print Shareon:FacebookTwitter Showreferences X-ray(Radiography)-Chest.RadiologicalSocietyofNorthAmerica.https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=chestrad.AccessedMarch2,2020. MettlerFA.Chest.In:EssentialsofRadiology.4thed.Elsevier;2019.https://www.clinicalkey.com.AccessedMarch2,2020. RadiationdoseinX-rayandCTexams.RadiologicalSocietyofNorthAmerica.https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=safety-xray.March2,2020. FowlerGC,etal.,eds.PrinciplesofX-rayinterpretation.In:PfenningerandFowler'sProceduresforPrimaryCare.4thed.Elsevier;2020.https://www.clinicalkey.com.AccessedMarch2,2020. TsakokMT,etal.Thechestradiographinheartdisease.Medicine.2018;doi:10.1016/j.mpmed.2018.05.007. SafetyinX-ray,interventionalradiologyandnuclearmedicineprocedures.RadiologicalSocietyofNorthAmerica.https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=safety-radiation.AccessedMarch4,2020. Related Abdominalaorticaneurysm Angina Anthrax Aorticaneurysm Aorticvalveregurgitation Aorticvalvestenosis ARDS Asbestosis Atrialflutter Bladdercancer Breastcancer Brokenheartsyndrome Bronchiolitis Bronchitis Burns Cardiogenicshock Cardiomyopathy Chestpain ChestX-ray Chroniccough Coarctationoftheaorta Congenitalheartdefectsinchildren Congenitalheartdiseaseinadults COPD Diabeticketoacidosis Dilatedcardiomyopathy Dresslersyndrome Ebsteinanomaly Eisenmengersyndrome Emphysema Endocarditis Endometrialcancer Enlargedbreastsinmen(gynecomastia) Enlargedheart Epiglottitis Eyemelanoma Granulomatosiswithpolyangiitis Heartattack Heartdisease Heartfailure Heartmurmurs Heartpalpitations Hiccups Hornersyndrome Huntersyndrome Hypercalcemia Itchyskin(pruritus) Legionnaires'disease Livercancer Merkelcellcarcinoma Mesothelioma Mitralvalvedisease Mitralvalveprolapse Mitralvalveregurgitation Mitralvalvestenosis Multisysteminflammatorysyndromeinchildren(MIS-C) Myocarditis Patentductusarteriosus(PDA) Pectusexcavatum Pericardialeffusion Pericarditis Pleurisy Pneumonia Pneumonitis Pneumothorax Pulmonaryedema Pulmonaryembolism Pulmonaryfibrosis Pulmonaryhypertension Qfever Recurrentbreastcancer Respiratorysyncytialvirus(RSV) Sjogren'ssyndrome Suddencardiacarrest Swollenlymphnodes TetralogyofFallot Thoracicaorticaneurysm Transpositionofthegreatarteries Tricuspidvalveregurgitation Tuberculosis Ventricularfibrillation Ventricularseptaldefect(VSD) Whoopingcough Wilms'tumor Showmorerelatedcontent Products&Services SignupforEmail:GetYourFreeResource–CopingwithCancer ChestX-raysAboutDoctors&Departments Advertisement MayoClinicdoesnotendorsecompaniesorproducts.Advertisingrevenuesupportsournot-for-profitmission. 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