Cardiac and pericardial calcifications on chest radiographs
Received 19 May 2009; received in revised form 30 November 2009; accepted 4 December 2009. published online 01 July 2010.
Many types of cardiac and pericardial calcifications identified on chest radiographs can be recognized and distinguished based on characteristic locations and appearances. The purpose of this review is to emphasize the importance of detecting cardiac and pericardial calcifications on chest radiographs, and to illustrate and describe the various types of calcifications that may be encountered and how they may be differentiated from one another. Each type of cardiac and pericardial calcification is discussed, its location and appearance described, and its significance explained. Recognizing and understanding these calcifications is important as they are often encountered in daily practice and play an important role in patient care.
The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, Section of Thoracic Imaging, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Guarantor and correspondent: E.C. Ferguson, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, Section of Thoracic Imaging, 6431 Fannin Street, Suite 2.026, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Tel.: +1 713 628 9218; fax: +1 713 500 7647.
a Present address: Emory University School of Medicine, 1648 Pierce Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
ABSTRACT