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Results
By Mayo Clinic staffX-rays penetrate body structures and tissue in different ways. Bone is very dense and blocks much of the radiation, so the image of bone on the film appears white. Your heart also blocks some of the radiation and so appears as a lighter area on the film. Lungs are filled with air, so they block little of the radiation, creating a dark image.
A radiologist — a doctor trained in interpretation of X-rays and other imaging exams — analyzes the images, looking for clues that may suggest if you have heart failure, fluid around your heart, cancer, pneumonia or other lung problems, or other conditions.
Your doctor will communicate the results to you and what treatments or other tests or procedures may be necessary.
- Normal anatomy and variants. In: Mettler FA. Essentials of Radiology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2005. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/125599666-3/815585924/1276/39.html#4-u1.0-B0-7216-0527-3..50006-8--cesec9_58. Accessed March 12, 2009.
- Chest X-ray (Chest radiography). Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=chestrad. Accessed March 12, 2009.
- Sykes AM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 20, 2009.
- Safety: Radiation exposure in X-ray examinations. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/safety/index.cfm?pg=sfty_xray#6. Accessed March 12, 2009.
