Anatomy
TOPICS

History:

35 year old female with cough and fever

The finding is a hazy white area in the lower left chest, which can be called a 'density' or an 'opacity'. The heart border is still sharp on the left, which suggests that the abnormality is not anterior in position. The diaphragm is obscured by the opacity, which suggests that the abnormality is posterior in position. This fits with an abnormality in the left lower lobe.

Things that can look white on CXR include blood, pus, water, cells or fibrosis. This is a simple list to allow you to expand your differentials.

To review more cases of pneumonia in various lobes of both lungs, click this link.