Radiation dose

We are exposed to natural sources of radiation all the time. According to recent estimates, the average person in Taiwan receives an effective dose of about 1.6 mSv per year from natural radiation, which includes cosmic radiation from outer space. These natural "background doses" vary according to where you live. The amount of radiation exposure in an x-ray procedure varies depending on the part of the body receiving the x-ray. The exposures of a single chest x-ray is about 0.02 mSv. The amount of radiation from 80 adult chest x-ray (0.02mSv × 80) is about the same as one year of natural background radiation that we are all exposed to as part of our daily living.

Pulmonary nodules

Many people have lung nodules. These abnormal growths are rarely cancerous. Respiratory illnesses and infections can cause nodules to form in the lungs. On X-rays or scans, these growths may look like a shadow or spot on the lung. If you have a pulmonary nodule, your healthcare provider may want to perform additional tests to determine the cause and rule out lung cancer.

Pulmonary infiltrate

The term pulmonary infiltrate is considered a context-dependent, non-specific and imprecise descriptive term when used in radiology reports. It refers to "an abnormal substance that accumulates gradually within cells or body tissues" or "any substance or type of cell that occurs within or spreads as through the interstices (interstitium and/or alveoli) of the lung, that is foreign to the lung, or that accumulates in greater than normal quantity within it.

Pleural thickening

Pleural thickening is a descriptive term given to describe any form of thickening involving either the parietal or visceral pleura. It can occur with both benign and malignant pleural disease.

Elevated diaphragm

The diaphragm is a thin, dome-shaped muscular structure that functions as a respiratory pump and is the primary muscle for inspiration. Elevated hemidiaphragm occurs when one side of the diaphragm becomes weak from muscular disease or loss of innervation due to phrenic nerve injury.

Costophrenic angle blunting

Blunting of the costophrenic angle (also known as blunting of the costophrenic sulcus) is a chest radiograph sign usually indicative of a small pleural effusion. Other causes of costophrenic angle blunting include lung disease in the region of the costophrenic angle, and lung hyperexpansion.

Widening of mediastinum

Widening of the mediastinum is most often due to technical factors such as patient positioning or the projection used. Rotation, incomplete inspiration, or an AP view, may all exaggerate the width of the mediastinum, as well as heart size. The main pathological causes to consider include masses and widening of vessels.

Pleural tail

It is formed by distorted blood vessel(s) and a focal area of atelectatic lung adjacent to pleural thickening. Histologically, pleural tails reflected thickened, fibrotic connective tissue septae with indrawing of the visceral pleura.

Pulmonary fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is a group of serious lung diseases that affect the respiratory system. The healthy lung tissue is destroyed and replaced by connective tissue. Pulmonary fibrosis scars and thickens lung tissue. It impacts the connecting tissue in the lung and the alveoli (air sacs inside the lungs). The lung damage gradually gets worse over time.