[The thoracic roentgen image: emergency and routine indications in the clinic and general practice]

Even in the era of rapidly emerging cross-sectional imaging techniques (computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging) the chest radiograph remains the most frequently performed diagnostic imaging procedure and has not lost any importance to other modalities. After technical considerations the value of chest radiography will be discussed based on the most widely applied indications in emergency and routine clinical settings and the link to subsequent imaging modalities will be outlined.