Chest Radiology for the Chiropractic Doctor Normal Series

Course overview

Describe the indications, standard PA and lateral positioning, and radiation considerations for chest radiography. Apply a systematic PA search pattern to evaluate lung fields, mediastinum, and heart border proportions. Identify the three normal left-sided mediastinal moguls and assess the diaphragm, pleura, and costophrenic angles. Evaluate tracheal alignment, clavicular symmetry, rib count, and first costal cartilage calcification on PA films. Recognize normal breast shadows, lung lobe anatomy, and fissure locations to localize thoracic pathology. Evaluate PA film quality and describe correct lateral chest view positioning for assessing retrosternal and retrocardiac spaces. Differentiate the right and left hemidiaphragms on lateral views using rib magnification, gastric bubble, and heart silhouette cues. Recognize supplementary chest views, pediatric thymic variants, and normal anatomic variants like pectus excavatum and azygos fissure.