Introduction

A chest radiograph is the most frequently performed radiological examination. Radiographs of the lungs are often taken, not only in connection with diseases of the lungs, but also with a large number of diseases in other organs that indirectly affect the lungs. A chest radiograph is also often taken routinely before operations.

Radiographs of the lungs can demonstrate both the presence of various diseases, and also the severity. These radiographs are also used to monitor the overall state of the patient in the intensive care unit by providing insight into such factors, as fluid balance.

While plain radiographs of the lungs are still the most common examination, the importance of special techniques such as bronchography, tomography, and angiography is now reduced, largely because of computed tomography, a method that is becoming increasingly common for assessment of pathological conditions in the lungs and hilum/mediastinum. The introduction of digital radiography (DR) has also represented a substantial step forward in the radiological diagnosis of pulmonary diseases, primarily in postoperative and intensive care patients.

Alf Kolbenstvedt, Arnulf Skjennald and Charles B. Higgins