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What Causes My Chest X-ray Report Indicate?
Question: Hi,
My son is 20 years old and was just required to have a chest xray for a summer internship. The results were minimal subsegmental atelectasis or scarring left lung base with tenting of left hemidiaphragm. Otherwise the lungs are clear. No focal infiltrat or evolving mass. The costophrenic angles are sharp, without evidence for effusion and heart size and mediastinal contours are within normal limits. The occupational nurse said it was no emergency but a follow-up with a physician is advised.
My son has coughed intermittently since a bad chest infection a few years ago. His doctor said it was due to sinus issues because he is a mouth breather and not from the infection. He did break his jaw last summer and did not cough for the 5 weeks his jaw was wired shut but resumed when the jaw was unwired.
However, recently we have thought a house we remodeled from the 1950s when my son was a baby may have had asbestos stirred up from the floor tiles and window replacement but we are not sure. I am unsure whether to bring him to a local clinic and if this is an emergency. One side note is that he did have a CT scan and some repeated neck xrays when he was 2 so his pediatrician recommended no more xrays. Is an MRI an effective diagnostic test for lung issues? Is this serious or a possible small issue?
My son is 20 years old and was just required to have a chest xray for a summer internship. The results were minimal subsegmental atelectasis or scarring left lung base with tenting of left hemidiaphragm. Otherwise the lungs are clear. No focal infiltrat or evolving mass. The costophrenic angles are sharp, without evidence for effusion and heart size and mediastinal contours are within normal limits. The occupational nurse said it was no emergency but a follow-up with a physician is advised.
My son has coughed intermittently since a bad chest infection a few years ago. His doctor said it was due to sinus issues because he is a mouth breather and not from the infection. He did break his jaw last summer and did not cough for the 5 weeks his jaw was wired shut but resumed when the jaw was unwired.
However, recently we have thought a house we remodeled from the 1950s when my son was a baby may have had asbestos stirred up from the floor tiles and window replacement but we are not sure. I am unsure whether to bring him to a local clinic and if this is an emergency. One side note is that he did have a CT scan and some repeated neck xrays when he was 2 so his pediatrician recommended no more xrays. Is an MRI an effective diagnostic test for lung issues? Is this serious or a possible small issue?
Brief Answer:
He is mostly having scarring of lung due to previous lung infection.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question on Health Care Magic.
I can understand your concern.
Lung infection (pneumonia) heals after treatment. And this healing can be in the form of any of the following mechanism.
1. Fibrosis
2. Calcification
3. Bronchiectesis
4. Complete resolution.
Fibrosis is more common amongst all.
And this appears as scarring on chest x ray.
Your son was having bad lung infection few years back. So possibility of scarring from previous lung infection is high.
But better to consult pulmonologist and get done CT thorax and bronchoscopy to rule out active infection.
CT thorax is more superior than MRI for lung diseases. And bronchoscopy will tell you whether active infection is present or not.
If both these are normal for active disease than your son is having old, scarring. And no need to worry for this.
Please let me know if he is having any symptoms at present like coughing, fever, chest pain, expectoration etc.
I will be happy to help you further.
Wishing good health to your son.
Thanks.
He is mostly having scarring of lung due to previous lung infection.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question on Health Care Magic.
I can understand your concern.
Lung infection (pneumonia) heals after treatment. And this healing can be in the form of any of the following mechanism.
1. Fibrosis
2. Calcification
3. Bronchiectesis
4. Complete resolution.
Fibrosis is more common amongst all.
And this appears as scarring on chest x ray.
Your son was having bad lung infection few years back. So possibility of scarring from previous lung infection is high.
But better to consult pulmonologist and get done CT thorax and bronchoscopy to rule out active infection.
CT thorax is more superior than MRI for lung diseases. And bronchoscopy will tell you whether active infection is present or not.
If both these are normal for active disease than your son is having old, scarring. And no need to worry for this.
Please let me know if he is having any symptoms at present like coughing, fever, chest pain, expectoration etc.
I will be happy to help you further.
Wishing good health to your son.
Thanks.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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