title: Radiographic appearance of intrathoracic complications of pregnancy.
abstract: The authors reviewed all chest radiographs obtained for pregnant women at a university hospital over a 15-year period to determine the intrathoracic complications of pregnancy and diseases occurring during pregnancy. The characteristic physiologic changes seen on chest radiographs during normal pregnancy are reviewed. Examples of intrathoracic diseases that may occur in pregnant patients include pulmonary embolism, amniotic fluid embolism, beriberi, aspiration pneumonia, community-acquired pneumonia, viral pneumonia, asthma, systemic disease, trophoblastic disease and peripartum pulmonary edema. The authors discuss the radiation biology implications of performing chest radiography during pregnancy and conclude that the benefit that the fetus receives from diagnosis and treatment of the mother's disease may be greater than the risk of radiation exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Albany Medical Center, NY, USA.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Kazerooni
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Killam
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Hendrick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001602:Beriberi / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004619:Embolism, Amniotic Fluid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011015:Pneumonia, Aspiration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011853:Radiobiology; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013896:Thoracic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014328:Trophoblastic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging