I want to know the meaning the results of my mother's x-ray

[Smile_2006]

The results are 1. There are suspicious densities in the upper lung fields. 2. The trachea is at midline. 3. The cardiac silhouette is not enlarged. 4. The costophrenic sulci are intact. 5. The hemidiaphragms are smooth. 6. The rest of the visualized soft tissue and osseous structures appear unremarkable.

[CHIN_C]

1. There are suspicious densities in the upper lung fields. This is ABNORMAL. This means that there is something in the lungs that should not be there, such as infection and/or cancer. Your mother should follow up with her doctor to obtain necessary follow-up imaging. If the doctor is concerned about pneumonia, he/she may treat with antibiotics, then obtain a repeat chest radiograph in a few weeks. If the doctor is concerned about cancer, he/she may skip straight to CT chest.

2. The trachea is at midline. This is normal. The trachea is the medical term for windpipe in layman's terms. If this were deviated, you might consider things such as an enlarged thyroid exerting mass effect.

3. The cardiac silhouette is not enlarged. This is normal. The cardiac silhouette refers to the heart (and surrounding pericardium). An enlarged cardiac silhouette more commonly means the heart is enlarged, but less commonly can be due to other factors such as fluid surrounding the heart (called pericardial effusion).

4. The costophrenic sulci are intact./5. The hemidiaphragms are smooth. This is normal. If this were blunted, this could suggest fluid in the pleural space around the lungs.

6. The rest of the visualized soft tissue and osseous structures appear unremarkable. This is normal. Soft tissues refers to non-bony structures, while osseous refers to bony structures. Unremarkable essentially means no acute findings. Instead of saying normal, some radiologists prefer the term unremarkable because this is a way of saying that even though there may be incidental findings/normal variations, there is really nothing to be concerned about.