CONVENTIONAL ROENTGEN DIAGNOSIS OF MEDIASTINAL LYMPHADENOPATHY. REVIEW ARTICLE (PART ONE)

Abstract

Although CT has significantly improved the imag ing of space occupying mediastinal processes, it cannot be the first diagnostic step for reasons of cost, capacity and  radiation exposure. Therefore the  conventional chest examination with biplane films, film tomography and esophagogram continues to be the basic roentgen procedure. The basis of the conventional studies is the analysis of the pleuro-mediastinal interfaces which re present the lateral mediastinal borders. This paper describes the roentgen-morphologic aspects of enlarged lymph nodes in the mediastinal  compartments  as far as they  can  be detected with conventional studies. The differential diagnoses are discussed and recog­nition of early and discrete lesions is particularly emphasized.