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Why it's done
By Mayo Clinic staff
Chest X-rays are the most commonly performed radiographic exam. A chest X-ray is often among the first procedures you'll undergo if your doctor suspects you have heart or lung disease.
A chest X-ray can show:
- The condition of your lungs. Chest X-rays can detect cancer or infection in the lungs. They can also show chronic lung conditions, such as emphysema or cystic fibrosis.
- Heart-related lung problems. Chest X-rays can reveal changes or abnormalities in your lungs that stem from heart problems. Fluid may accumulate in your lungs (pulmonary edema), for instance, as a result of congestive heart failure.
- The size and outline of your heart. Changes in the size and shape of your heart may indicate a variety of conditions, such as heart failure, congenital heart disease, fluid around the heart (pericardial effusion), and problems with one or more of your heart valves.
- Blood vessels. Because the outlines of the large vessels near your heart — the aorta and pulmonary arteries and veins — are visible on X-rays, they may reveal aortic aneurysms or other blood vessel problems, or congenital heart disease.
- Calcium deposits. Chest X-rays can detect the presence of calcium in your heart or blood vessels. Its presence may indicate damage to your heart valves, coronary arteries, heart muscle or the protective sac that surrounds the heart. Calcium deposits in your lungs may be from an old, resolved infection or a more serious disease.
References
- 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.
