Systematic Approach (ABCDE)
Airways: Trachea midline/deviated. Endotracheal tube position.
Bones: Ribs, clavicles, scapulae, humeri. Fractures, lytic lesions.
Cardiac: Cardiac size (CTR <0.5), cardiac borders, aortic knuckle.
Diaphragm: Right higher than left, costophrenic angles sharp.
Everything else: Lung fields, mediastinum, hila.
15 Key Signs
- Air bronchogram = consolidation
- Bat wing = pulmonary edema
- Silhouette sign = right middle lobe collapse
- Honeycombing = interstitial lung disease
- Cavity = TB, abscess, cancer
- Coin lesion = granuloma vs cancer
- Pleural effusion = blunted costophrenic angle
- Pneumothorax = visceral pleural line, no vessels beyond
Revision history
- 20 September 2026 — Initial publication
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