Cardiopulmonary Imaging - Plain-Language Study Guide

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering terminology, imaging views, quality assessment, pathology, and diagnostic procedures used in cardiopulmonary imaging.

Radiolucent

Dark or black on the image because X-rays pass through easily; air-filled lungs are normally radiolucent.

Radiopaque / radiodense

Light gray or white because the material blocks more X-rays; bone is very white, while fluid and soft tissue are shades of gray.

Opacity

A general word for an area that looks whiter than expected.

Infiltrate

A vague, ill-defined white area in the lung that describes an appearance rather than one exact diagnosis.

Consolidation

Alveoli that should contain air are filled with fluid, pus, blood, or cells, creating a solid-looking white area.

Hyperlucency

An area that is darker than expected because it contains extra air or has fewer visible blood vessels.

Vascular markings

The branching lines made mainly by blood vessels in the lungs; they may increase with heart failure and disappear beyond a pneumothorax line.

Diffuse

Spread widely through a lung or through both lungs.

Bilateral

Present on both sides.

Unilateral

Present on one side only.

Fluffy / bat-wing

Cloudy central opacities that can resemble butterfly wings; often associated with pulmonary edema.

Patchy

Scattered uneven white areas rather than one solid area.

Plate-like

Thin, flat, horizontal opacity, often caused by a small area of atelectasis.

Ground-glass

A hazy increase in whiteness that does not completely hide the structures underneath; often better seen on CT.

Honeycombing

Clusters of small cyst-like spaces, usually suggesting advanced, long-term lung scarring.

Reticulogranular

A fine net-like or grainy pattern caused by disease in the lung interstitium.

Air bronchogram

Dark, air-filled bronchi visible inside whiter, fluid-filled alveoli; commonly seen with pneumonia or other consolidation.

PA view

Posterior-Anterior view where the beam travels from back to front while the patient stands; the standard, higher-quality view that causes less heart magnification.

AP view

Anterior-Posterior view where the beam travels from front to back, often with a portable machine; the heart can look falsely enlarged and rotation is more common.

Lateral view

A side view that helps locate disease and see areas hidden on the frontal image.

Supine

Patient lies flat; the diaphragm sits higher, fluid may layer posteriorly, and some findings are harder to see.

Lateral decubitus

Patient lies on one side; especially useful for showing a small, freely moving pleural effusion.

Penetration

How much X-ray energy passed through the chest; correct penetration allows the spine to be faintly seen through the heart.

Overpenetrated

An image that is too dark, which may cause subtle lung opacities to be missed.

Underpenetrated

An image that is too white, which may make the lungs falsely look congested or diseased.

Rotation

Occurs when the patient is turned, potentially distorting the heart, mediastinum, and lung appearance.

Full inspiration

Image taken after a deep breath; poor inspiration makes lungs look smaller and can make the heart look larger.

ABCDE-FL

A routine for reading films: Airway, Bones/soft tissue, Cardiac/mediastinum, Diaphragm, Effusions/pleura, Fields, and Lines/tubes.

Pleural space

The thin potential space between the lung and chest wall.

Pleural effusion / hydrothorax

Extra fluid in the pleural space; a common sign is a blunted costophrenic angle.

Costophrenic angle

The sharp corner where the diaphragm meets the chest wall; fluid makes it look rounded or blunted.

Meniscus sign

A curved upper edge of pleural fluid that rises along the chest wall.

Empyema

Pus collected in the pleural space, usually from infection.

Pneumothorax

Air in the pleural space where the lung edge pulls away from the chest wall and vascular markings are absent beyond that edge.

Barotrauma

Lung injury caused by pressure, sometimes during mechanical ventilation; it can produce a pneumothorax.

Tension pneumothorax

An emergency where trapped pleural air builds pressure, collapses the lung, and pushes the mediastinum away; requires immediate decompression.

Mediastinal shift

The movement of central chest structures to one side; pressure pushes them away, while volume loss pulls them toward the affected side.

Pulmonary edema

Fluid in the lungs, often from left-sided heart failure; may cause bilateral fluffy opacities, enlarged heart, and pleural effusions.

Cephalization

Upper-lung blood vessels become as large as or larger than lower-lung vessels, suggesting increased pulmonary venous pressure.

Kerley B lines

Short horizontal lines near the outer lower lungs caused by fluid in the interstitial tissue.

Pneumonia

Lung infection that may fill alveoli with inflammatory fluid or pus, creating consolidation and air bronchograms.

Atelectasis

Partial or complete collapse of lung tissue, producing volume loss and increased whiteness.

Plate atelectasis

A small, thin band of collapsed lung, common after surgery or shallow breathing.

Lobar atelectasis

Collapse of one lobe, often from a blocked bronchus caused by mucus, a tumor, or a foreign body.

Hyperinflation

Too much trapped air causing the lungs to look large and dark and the diaphragms to flatten.

Emphysema

Destruction of alveolar walls with air trapping and loss of lung blood vessels; commonly causes hyperinflation.

Interstitial lung disease

A group of disorders affecting the support tissue between alveoli, often causing diffuse bilateral reticular or nodular opacities.

Pulmonary fibrosis

Scarring and stiffening of lung tissue; advanced disease may show honeycombing.

ARDS

Severe inflammatory lung injury causing noncardiogenic pulmonary edema, low oxygen, and diffuse bilateral opacities.

Hilum

The central doorway of each lung where the main bronchi, pulmonary vessels, lymphatics, and nerves enter or leave.

Carina

The point where the trachea splits into the right and left main bronchi.

ET tube

Endotracheal tube, whose tip is commonly checked above the carina.

Tracheostomy tube

A breathing tube placed through the neck directly into the trachea.

Central venous catheter

A line ending in a large central vein; CXR confirms its course and checks for pneumothorax after placement.

Pulmonary artery catheter

A catheter advanced through the right heart into a pulmonary artery to measure pressures and hemodynamics.

Chest tube

A tube placed in the pleural space to remove air, blood, pus, or other fluid.

NG / feeding tube

A tube passed through the nose into the stomach or intestine; course and tip must be checked before use.

CT scan

Uses X-rays and computer processing to create detailed cross-sectional 'slice' images of the chest.

Iodinated contrast

Injected dye that makes blood vessels and Some tissues easier to distinguish on CT; allergy history and kidney function are relevant.

HRCT

High-resolution CT using very thin slices to show fine lung detail; useful for interstitial disease, emphysema, and bronchiectasis.

CT angiogram

Contrast-enhanced CT timed to show blood vessels; commonly used to look for pulmonary emboli.

MRI

Uses a strong magnet and radio waves rather than X-rays; requires safety screening for implants and metal equipment.

Ultrasound

Uses reflected sound waves; portable and useful for pleural fluid and guiding vascular procedures.

V/Q scan

Compares air reaching the lungs (ventilation) with blood flow reaching the lungs (perfusion).

V/Q mismatch

An area receives air but not enough blood flow; can raise suspicion for pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism

A clot blocking pulmonary blood flow; initial CXR may look normal, requiring CT angiography or V/Q scan for assessment.

Dyspnea

The feeling of difficult or uncomfortable breathing; shortness of breath.

Hemoptysis

Coughing up blood from the respiratory tract.

Sputum

Mucus coughed up from the lower airways.

Plateau pressure

Pressure measured during an inspiratory hold on a ventilator; a sudden rise can suggest reduced lung/chest compliance.

Imaging lag

The phenomenon where some diseases (like early aspiration pneumonia) may take hours to become visible on CXR.