[Radiographic evidence of small amounts of pleural effusion in infant stage individuals. Animal experiments (author's transl)].
The pleural cavity of ten young pigs was punctured and pilled with specific amounts of fluid. Subsequently chest films were obtained in ap and lateral erect and in cross-table lateral decubitus position. Only 2 cases of these pigs radiographed in the erect position (after injection of 80 and even 100 ml of fluid) gave clear evidence of pleural effusion. Indirect signs of pleural effusion (such as blunting of the costophrenic angles; unsharpness, flatting or "elevation" of the diaphragm as a sign of subpulmonic effusion), however, were already noted with only 20 ml of pleural fluid. In contrast to these exams done in the erect position, the radiographs obtained in cross table lateral decubitus position showed as little as 5 ml of fluid. Therefore, the cross table lateral decubitus position is ideal for the work up of suspected pleural effusion.
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011187:Posture; D011859:Radiography; D013552:Swine
Röntgenologischer Nachweis kleiner Pleuraergüsse beim Säugling und Kleinkind. Tierexperimentelle Untersuchungen.