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What Does This Chest X-ray Indicate?

Posted on Thu, 16 Jun 2016

Question: Chest xray has come back with the following:
Bulky dense lower right hilum with volume loss in surrounding lung and pleural reaction.Normal left lung and mediastinum.

Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail (4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
There is lung changes due to infection

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for writing in to us.

1. The chest xray shows that there is reduced volume of right lung and probably it was not expanding completely. This volume loss is likely from an infection in the lung which might have caused lung volume to decrease.

2. Pleura is the thickening around the lung. Pleural reaction is inflammatory reaction due to the lung infection.

3. The lung will likely expand once you get treated. Please get another chest xray done when you recover and it will show reversal of lung changes.

Hope your query is answered.
Please dowrite back if you have any doubts.

Regards,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Vivek Chail (7 minutes later)

Thanks for getting back to me.He has also put on the report the following:
The appearances are unlikely to be a simple infective and CT is indicated in a smoker to exclude malignancy.

I must say i finished my tablets a week ago and cough seems to have gone

Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail (4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Please get a new chest xray done

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for writing back with an update.

1. It is difficult to confirm your findings without looking at the chest x ray.

2. I suggest going for another chest x ray after the cough has gone. If the findings are doubtful in the new chest xray then you can get a CT scan done.

3. If the new chest xray is normal then please discuss with your doctor if you really require a CT scan. You are also suggested to get pulmonary function tests done.

Hope your query is answered.
Please do write back if you have any doubts.

Regards,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Vivek Chail (1 hour later)

One final question

I was given Clarithromycin to take for 2 week course on the monday,i had my chest xray 4 days later and by then coughing up loads from my chest.Could this have shown up as the Bulky dense lower right hilum volume loss area ?

Thanks

Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail (5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
The infection in the dense area caused the cough.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for writing back with an update.

1. Bulky dense lower right hilum and the volume loss area in the chest xray are due to the infection.

2. Clarithromycin did not caue thes x ray changes, it was there from before itself.

3. The cough production was due to the infection causing bulky hilum and volume loss area. The cough did not appear as the dense area but the infection in the dense area caused the cough.

Hope your query is answered.
Please do write back if you have any doubts.

Regards,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar