Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

The posterior pleural reflections.

G P Genereux

    AJR. American Journal of Roentgenology
    |July 1, 1983
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Posterior mediastinal lines on plain radiography are optical illusions, not anatomical structures. Computed tomography (CT) is essential for accurately differentiating normal from abnormal findings.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    The Fleischner lecture: computed tomography of diffuse pulmonary disease.

    Journal of thoracic imaging·1989
    Same author

    Cystic fibrosis: a comparison of computed tomography and plain chest radiographs.

    Canadian Association of Radiologists journal = Journal l'Association canadienne des radiologistes·1986
    Same author

    Pattern recognition in diffuse lung disease. A review of theory and practice.

    Medical radiography and photography·1985
    Same author

    Computed tomography and the lung: review of anatomic and densitometric features with their clinical application.

    Journal of the Canadian Association of Radiologists·1985
    Same author

    CT of acute and chronic distal air space (alveolar) disease.

    Seminars in roentgenology·1984
    Same author

    Normal mediastinal lymph node size and number: CT and anatomic study.

    AJR. American journal of roentgenology·1984
    Same journal

    The Banality of Cancer: Entropy As a Third Pillar of Lung Nodule Risk Assessment.

    AJR. American journal of roentgenology·2026
    Same journal

    A Narrow Window for Artificial Intelligence-Generated Synthetic Temporal Bone CT From MRI.

    AJR. American journal of roentgenology·2026
    Same journal

    From Uncertainty to Actionable Management: The Isolated Abnormal Axillary Lymph Node.

    AJR. American journal of roentgenology·2026
    Same journal

    Beyond Detection: Translating Artificial Intelligence-Driven Opportunistic Screening Into Clinical Action.

    AJR. American journal of roentgenology·2026
    Same journal

    Navigating PSMA PET Radiopharmaceuticals: Clinical and Operational Factors.

    AJR. American journal of roentgenology·2026
    Same journal

    From Mesenteric Ischemia to Intestinal Stroke.

    AJR. American journal of roentgenology·2026
    See all related articles

    Area of Science:

    • Radiology
    • Medical Imaging
    • Thoracic Anatomy

    Background:

    • The paraspinal and paraaortic lines are observed on plain radiography.
    • These lines are traditionally thought to represent posterior mediastinal pleural reflections.
    • Their precise nature and diagnostic implications remain debated.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the nature of the posterior mediastinal pleural reflections, specifically the paraspinal and paraaortic lines.
    • To determine if these lines represent anatomical structures or optical phenomena.
    • To assess the reliability of plain radiography in evaluating the posterior mediastinum.

    Main Methods:

    • Conventional linear tomography, computed tomography (CT), and photodensitometry were employed.
    • Eight normal patients were studied and compared with patients exhibiting abnormal features.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Correlated evidence from multiple imaging modalities was analyzed.

    • Main Results:

    • The study indicates that the paraspinal and paraaortic lines are not distinct anatomical structures.
    • These lines are identified as optical phenomena, specifically Mach bands.
    • Their appearance is attributed to the shape of the lung-mediastinal interface, not tissue composition.

    Conclusions:

    • Posterior mediastinal lines on plain radiography are optical phenomena (Mach bands).
    • Their presence does not reliably indicate normal or abnormal posterior mediastinal or pleural conditions.
    • Computed tomography (CT) is the definitive method for differentiating normal from pathological states of the posterior mediastinum and pleura.