Radiological pattern of chest disease in a provincial hospital

Chest x-rays of 533 patients were prospectively studied over a period of 6 months. The sex, age and disease types were recorded. The sex ratio was found to be variable according to the disease. About one third of the patients were under 10 years of age. 83% of the total were in the age range 0 to 49 years. 41 per cent of the cases had lung infection; pulmonary tuberculosis accounting for one fourth of these. Cardiac lesions constituted 11%. Other chest diseases accounted for 7%. 27 percent of the chest x-rays were reported as normal.