May 2014 Imaging Case of the Month

Michael B. Gotway, MD

Department of Radiology

Mayo Clinic Arizona

Scottsdale, AZ 

Clinical History: A 66-year-old woman presented with complaints of cough worsening over the previous several months. Her prior medical history was largely otherwise unremarkable. Frontal chest radiography (Figure 1) was performed for evaluation.  

Figure 1. Panel A: Frontal chest radiograph. Panel B: Right anterior oblique image. Panel C: Left anterior oblique image.

Which of the following statements regarding the chest radiograph is most accurate? (Click on the correct answer to move to the next panel)

1. The chest radiograph shows a solitary pulmonary nodule
2. The chest radiograph shows multifocal airway thickening and bronchiectasis
3. The chest radiograph shows multifocal, bilateral cavitary nodules and consolidation
4. The chest radiograph shows multifocal, somewhat basal predominant linear opacities within diminished lung volumes, suggesting fibrosis
5. The chest radiograph shows multiple small nodules, suggesting a miliary pattern

Reference as: Gotway MB. May 2014 imaging case of the month. Southwest J Pulm Crit Care. 2014;8(5):266-74. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13175/swjpcc059-14 PDF