The posterior pleural reflections

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · AJR, Am. J. Roentgenol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2214/ajr.141.1.141· OSTI ID:5503693

Genereux, G P

The posterior mediastinal pleural reflections, which contribute to the formation of the paraspinal and paraaortic lines, were studied by conventional linear tomography, computed tomography (CT), and photodensitometry in eight normal patients; these were compared with other patients with known or suspected abnormal features. The correlated evidence indicates that these lines do no depict anatomic structures as traditionally conceived, but instead represent optical phenomena - Mach bands - formed as a result of the particular anatomic shape, rather than tissue composition, of the lung-mediastinal interface. Consequently, a line may be identified as normal, on plain radiography, in the presence of either a normal or a pathologic posterior mediastinum or pleura. The determination of normalcy cannot be made solely on the basis of the appearance of these lines; CT is the only reliable method for this differentiation.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Saskatchewan Hospital, Canada
• OSTI ID: 5503693
• Journal Information: AJR, Am. J. Roentgenol.; (United States), Journal Name: AJR, Am. J. Roentgenol.; (United States) Vol. 141:1; ISSN AAJRD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ANATOMY
BODY
BODY AREAS
CHEST
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
DENSITOMETERS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MEDIASTINUM
PATIENTS
PHOTOMETERS
TOMOGRAPHY