Visualization of basal pleural space and lung with advanced multiple beam equalization radiography (AMBER)

During clinical use of AMBER (Advanced Multiple Beam Equalization Radiography) it was frequently felt that the basal lung and pleural space were better appreciated than with standard chest radiography. We aimed to quantify the amount of additional relevant anatomy seen in this part region and to review the normal radiographic anatomy. Four hundred patients without known chest disease were evaluated. Two groups of 200 patients (50% female) were studied with either AMBER or standard chest radiography (140 kVp, 180 cm FFD, Kodak Tmat G film, Lanex regular screen; for both techniques). Visualization of the pleural sinuses (in percent of the transverse thoracic diameter) and the basal pulmonary vessels (4-point scale) was evaluated by a panel of 3 radiologists. The shape of the sinus was traced if sufficiently visible and subjectively evaluated. A significantly (P < 0.05) larger segment of the dorsal (41 +/- 34%) and ventral (14 +/- 15%) sinuses was seen with the AMBER technique than with the standard technique (16 +/- 21% and 9 +/- 11%, respectively). Vessel visibility was also significantly (P < 0.001) better with AMBER (3.2 +/- 0.6) than with the standard technique (1.9 +/- 0.6). The dorsal sinus showed alternatively a curved or pointed configuration.