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The right heart border in infancy

J A Culham

    Radiology
    |May 1, 1981
    PubMed

    Insights

    A poorly defined right heart border on infant chest X-rays often indicates an underlying issue. Computed tomography scans revealed pulmonary or pleural disease in most cases, highlighting the need for further investigation.

    Area of Science:

    • Pediatric Radiology
    • Diagnostic Imaging

    Background:

    • The silhouette sign on plain chest radiographs can be challenging to interpret in infants.
    • A poorly defined right heart border in infants is a common radiographic finding.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the causes of a poorly defined right heart border in infants using computed tomography (CT).
    • To elucidate the significance of the silhouette sign in pediatric thoracic imaging.

    Main Methods:

    • Computed tomographic (CT) scans of the lower thorax were performed on ten infants.
    • Patients were selected based on plain chest radiographs showing poorly defined right heart borders.

    Main Results:

    • Satisfactory CT scans were obtained in eight of the ten infants.
    • Pulmonary or pleural disease was identified in seven of the eight infants with interpretable CT scans.
    • In one infant, thymic enlargement obscured the right heart border.

    Conclusions:

    • A poorly defined right heart border in infants under one year of age is frequently an abnormal finding.
    • CT imaging is valuable for diagnosing the underlying causes of the silhouette sign in pediatric patients.
    • Early identification of pulmonary or pleural abnormalities is crucial in infants presenting with this radiographic finding.

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