Abstract
The chest radiograph is the first imaging study performed in patients suspected of having cardiac disease. This chapter discusses the role of the chest radiograph in the diagnosis of cardiac disease in adults, with an emphasis on both normal cardiovascular anatomy and pathology in a variety of diseases. Cross-sectional imaging is correlated with plain film images to illustrate important anatomic points. Thorough knowledge of mediastinal interfaces and the cardiac borders will help to determine if pathology is present. There are many frequently occurring cardiovascular conditions with specific and often diagnostic imaging findings on the plain chest radiograph. The conditions that will be discussed include aortic stenosis and insufficiency, mitral stenosis and acute mitral regurgitation, pericardial calcification suggesting constriction, and the plain film alterations found in atrial septal defect and other intracardiac defects.