Homogeneous shadow in the lung. Darkening in the lung on fluorography - what does this mean?

Every Russian citizen knows that annual preventive medical examinations are a mandatory procedure. One of the most important examinations is one that allows you to detect various diseases in the early stages of their development. Alarm bells for doctors are pathological darkening of these organs.

Darkening in the photo of the lungs.

There are many reasons that lead to the occurrence of such darkening, therefore, to determine them as correctly as possible, experts do not disdain other examinations.

After all, certain darkening is just an indicator that inflammation (of any nature) is occurring in the body. Why does darkening appear in the picture? To answer this question you need to carefully study this topic.

Main Features

In most situations, pulmonary diseases are accompanied by the appearance of compactions. Such problems occur due to a decrease in diameter or blockage of air passages at specific locations on the surface of the lung, and radiologists see dark spots on the fluorogram.

Symptoms of this kind are confirmation of the occurrence or development of pathologies in the lungs themselves or surrounding cells.

Shadows indicating pulmonary diseases often have varying intensity, clarity and dimensions. Such areas are evidence of the following health problems:

• Inflammation and tissue compaction;
• nodular neoplasms (tumors);
• clogged air passages;
• development of tuberculosis processes;
• fluid filling of the lung pleura (the layer of membrane that covers and protects each organ in the sternum);
• inflammation of the pleura;
• pustular abscesses.

Fluorographic images often contain dark spots that appear due to defects of any organ behind the ribs. Such symptoms are confirmation of such problems:

1. Enlarged lymph nodes.
2. Tumors on the vertebrae/ribs.
3. Diseases of the esophagus, etc.

Types and description of dark spots

The type of pathological damage to the tissues of the respiratory system greatly influences the way the shadows are located, their dimensions and geometry. Based on this, all dark spots on fluorograms can be:

• Focal;
• formless;
• focal;
• liquid;
• segmental;
• share type.

Let us consider in detail each type of such shadows.

Focal shadows

This type of dark spots are small nodular areas up to 10 mm in size. Usually they manifest themselves in the event of any inflammation or problems with blood vessels. Such darkening is often a sign of the onset of the development of any pulmonary diseases.

Based on one fluorogram, it is impossible to determine exactly what the reasons for the appearance of lesions and their nature are, so doctors always prescribe patients to additionally undergo a CT scan or radiography. It is also advisable to conduct laboratory tests, during which the indicators and content of mucous membranes, urine, etc. are examined.

In situations where, when focal darkening is detected, the patient has an elevated temperature, general malaise, headache, incessant coughing attacks, severe chest pain, there is a high probability of bronchopneumonia.

A focal shadow on an X-ray of the lungs, which indicates internal bleeding.

When the results of a blood test do not confirm the presence of any abnormalities, development is possible.

The main symptoms of this disease are decreased appetite, malaise, causeless dry cough, frequent irritability, severe pain in the sternum. If this diagnosis is suspected, doctors prescribe a series of studies.

Another common disease with focal darkening is pulmonary infarction, which manifests itself as thrombophlebitis in the legs, pathology of the heart muscle, etc. The last problem that can be discussed in the presence of a focal shadow on a fluorographic image is peripheral cancer.

Single cases of focal shadow on a fluorogram are round in shape, and their size often exceeds 10-12 mm. Such darkening in the lungs is considered a sign of inflammation, which manifests itself due to the occurrence of such diseases:

• Inflammation of the lung;
• local effusions (water channels in the lungs expand);
• eosinophilic infiltrates - this disease is accompanied by mechanical lesions of the lungs, bronchial asthma;
• abscesses.

Focal shadow in the photo.

One of the rarest reasons for the appearance of such shadows on fluorograms is the use of highly targeted, potent medications, the presence of acquired or congenital cysts that are filled with liquids/gases.

This type of darkening can also indicate problems with tumors:

• Benign (fibroma, adenoma, lipoma, hamartochondroma);
• malignant (metastasis, sarcoma).

Often, round dark spots confirm the presence of calluses, which are caused by rib fractures. Doctors must take this fact into account when deciphering film fluorograms.

Segmental spots

Dark spots on fluorograms can be distributed as separate segments of any diameter/shape (usually triangular). There can be up to 10 such dark spots on a lung, and doctors make a diagnosis of diseases based on a comprehensive examination. The appearance of single spots on the lung is usually considered a symptom of the following diseases:

• Endobronchial tumor;
• foreign bodies, mechanical damage to lung tissue.

In the case of clear viewing of several darkened areas on film fluorograms, we can talk about the following problems:

• Chronic pneumonia or acute form of this disease;
• tuberculous inflammation;
• centralized oncology;
• central bronchial constrictions;
• concentration of any fluids in one place of the pleural tissue;
• malignant metastases.

Shapeless spots

Fluorograms often contain darkened spots that are not shaped like other species. Usually their appearance is not similar to certain geometric shapes, and there are no clear boundaries of the shadows. In most cases, such lung pathologies confirm the symptoms of staphylococcal pneumonia. This problem can develop in the following forms:

1. Primary. This disease manifests itself in the presence of inflammation in the lung/bronchus.
2. Secondary. This form develops as a result of hematogenous infection from a purulent focus (due to osteomyelitis, adnexitis or other similar diseases). In the last decade, the secondary form of staphylococcal pneumonia has begun to spread much faster, so people must undergo fluorography every year in order to detect this disease at an early stage.

Dark spots of this kind can often occur due to edema of the lung tissue, pulmonary effusions of blood, tumor-like neoplasms, concentration of fluids inside the pleura in one place, and the presence of another disease that can be accurately determined using laboratory testing. In the case of such diseases, patients often have a fever, cough, malaise, and headaches.

Share shadows

In the case of lobar darkening in the lungs, their contours are clearly visible in fluorogram images. Usually they differ in shape by their convexity, concavity, straightness, etc. Lobar darkened spots usually confirm that people have any chronic pulmonary diseases, which are easily determined using computed tomography.

Most often, a lobar spot confirms the development of cirrhosis, bronchiectasis, and the appearance of a purulent cavity. Any of these pathologies in a CT image is very different from a cancerous tumor, so it is necessary to accurately determine malignant neoplasms only if a person has bronchial obstruction due to inflammatory or scar formations.

Darkened areas filled with liquids

The image shows fluid in the lungs.

This type of darkening in the lungs on fluorograms usually indicates developing edema. Such problems can arise due to increased pressure inside the pulmonary vessels or due to a decrease in the content of protein substances in the blood. The presence of fluid in the lungs is an obstacle to the proper functioning of this organ.

Pulmonary edema occurs:

• Hydrostatic. These problems arise due to high pressure in the blood vessels, so fluid leaves the bloodstream and penetrates the alveoli (the extreme points of the respiratory system), gradually filling the lung. This pathology most often occurs due to ischemia or other chronic problems of the heart muscle.
• Membranous. The cause of these edemas is the strong impact of toxic substances that damage the lining of the alveoli and then exit the blood vessels of the lung.

The correctness of diagnosis is greatly influenced by the qualification level, practical skills and theoretical knowledge of radiologists studying and describing fluorograms.

The equipment used to perform the X-ray examination also plays a very important role. It is for this reason that it is advisable to contact reliable clinics where real professionals and experts in their field work, who recognize each type of darkening in the lungs.

During the annual medical examination, the patient is offered to undergo fluorography to check the condition of the lungs. The procedure involves obtaining an image of a person's internal organs when X-rays pass through the tissues of his body. Thanks to X-rays of the lungs, it is possible to diagnose in the early stages various diseases in the lung, the symptoms of which have not yet appeared in a person - tuberculosis, lung cancer, atelactase, etc.

Classic X-ray of the lungs

The human lungs look like this in the picture: the right and left lungs on the sides of the spine, the shadow of the heart, the collarbone, the ribs, the dome of the diaphragm. The resulting images are deciphered by specialists who assess the condition of the patient’s lungs according to the following scheme:

• how the lungs are located in the chest relative to other organs;
• number of pulmonary lobes;
• the shape of the paired organ and its size;
• pulmonary pattern.

The lung tissue of a healthy person has a homogeneous and uniform structure. In some cases, dark or light colored spots appear on x-rays. This may indicate both the presence of serious pathologies and physiological processes in the lungs that are not a deviation from the norm. However, having received such an image, the patient anxiously begins to look for information about the meaning of darkening or light circles in the image. What they mean will be explained below.

Reasons for the appearance of spots in the photo

There are many reasons for the appearance of dark spots on the lungs. When a pathological process affects an organ, its structure changes noticeably - areas with compactions appear, which, when exposed to X-rays, absorb rays in greater quantities than healthy tissue. This is why dark areas are visible in the pictures. These areas can vary in shape and size:

• Focal darkening. Usually detected during inflammation and cancer processes in organ tissues. They look like small spots, up to 10 mm in diameter. Based on their presence, it is impossible to make a correct diagnosis. Additional studies are needed - CT scan, blood, urine and sputum tests.
• Round shading. They are visualized as single round shadows. Usually they are an indicator of the inflammatory process in the lung tissue. This picture is indicative of pneumonia, abscesses, benign formations in this organ, bronchial asthma, and even rib fractures. Less commonly, round single dark spots indicate oncological processes in the lungs.
• Segmental darkening. Localized in the shape of a triangle (triangles) on one or both lobes. They can be either single or multiple. Single segmental opacities may indicate a foreign object in the organ or tumors within the bronchi, which can be either benign or malignant. Multiple segments in the images indicate the presence of pneumonia, central lung cancer, narrowing of the central bronchus, pleurisy, and oncology of neighboring organs.
• Darkening of fuzzy shape. These dark areas do not have definite contours and cannot be compared with geometric shapes. Most often, the presence of such darkened areas of uncertain shape indicates infectious lesions of the lung - staphylococcal pneumonia, exudative pleurisy.
• Lobar darkening. These are clearly defined and clearly visible shadow boundaries in photographs, having curved, convex and other shapes. This type of darkening indicates chronic diseases in the bronchi.

Spots in the lungs on x-rays may appear due to the following diseases:

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis

With this disease, the upper parts of the organ are seriously affected. In the image, this is manifested by the presence of multiple darkened lesions of small size - up to 2 mm in diameter. In this case, foci can merge, forming larger locations.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia

In pneumonia, the presence of dark areas is noted in the lower parts of the lung tissue. The symptoms of the disease will be most clearly visible in the photographs at the time the disease develops. Visually, this will be manifested by an increase in the root of the lung due to the infiltration process, a change in the pulmonary pattern, shadows with an indistinct, blurry contour and numerous spots of different diameters.

With pneumonia, on an X-ray of the lungs, these spots have unclear contours and a heterogeneous structure.

In addition to pneumonia, the presence of multiple lesions in the lower parts of the pulmonary lobes indicates the consequences of pneumonia or bronchitis. With complete recovery, these marks will disappear.

Lung cancer

Lung cancer

Lung cancer is a life-threatening condition. Its manifestations can also be noticeable during fluorography or x-rays. It is worth noting that in the presence of formations up to 2 mm in diameter, x-rays will not be able to detect the tumor. It is visualized on photographs when it reaches a diameter of more than 3 mm. For accurate diagnosis, x-rays are performed in two projections at once - lateral and direct.

In the image, if cancer is suspected, the following signs can be detected: a shadow on the periphery of the lung with a vague and lumpy outline, a thin outline of rays around the cancer focus, a large white spot stands out against the background of a strong shadow - this is how the picture of tumor disintegration appears.

However, when diagnosing oncology, you should not rely only on the image. The patient is referred to specialists who take a tissue biopsy and conduct additional studies - MRI, CT scan of the organ - to make the correct diagnosis.

Pleurisy

Pleurisy

Pleurisy is inflammation of the pulmonary lining. In this case, the darkening is not explained by obstruction of air in those zones. In this case, fluid accumulates in the cavities from the folds of the pleura.

In the presence of dry pleurisy, the dome of the diaphragm is raised upward and the lung tissue is opaque. With effusion pleurisy, the angle of the diaphragm is smoothed out due to the accumulation of fluid, the lower part of the lung is darkened by an oblique border.

Nicotine addiction

Smoker's lungs

Heavy smokers also show dark spots on fluorograms or x-rays. They are explained by the thickening of the pulmonary pattern and the formation of cavities in the bronchi. The roots of the lungs in smokers are blurred - it is difficult to determine their structural boundaries. The blurring of the contours of the roots is explained by an increase in the pulmonary vessels due to respiratory failure. In addition, the image of a heavy smoker can reveal bronchitis, tuberculosis, and lung tumors.

Presence of a foreign body in the lungs

Dark spots in the lungs can be caused by the presence of a foreign object in the lung tissue. This can most often be found in children who are careless with small objects. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to detect an object in the bronchi or lungs on an x-ray due to swelling of the organ, so endoscopy is preferable to x-rays.

Listed above are the main reasons for the appearance of dark spots on the lungs on X-rays. It is very important to know that the shadows in the image itself look like the lightest areas, because... these are negatives. And vice versa - enlightenments in this paired organ will be reflected in the negatives as the darkest fragments. It is impossible to understand the symptoms of the disease and make a correct diagnosis based only on photographs. This should be done by a qualified radiologist.

Sometimes, to take care of health, there is not enough time, responsibility, desire, and finally, awareness of the importance of this task. That is why in medical institutions, both public and private, there is a requirement to undergo a number of mandatory examinations, regardless of the reason for the visit. One of these procedures is annual fluorography. Doctors recommend undergoing a lung x-ray or x-ray to detect diseases such as lung cancer or tuberculosis. Early detection of these and other diseases improves the effectiveness of treatment and increases the likelihood of a positive outcome.

There are cases when darkening is recorded in the final picture of the lungs, which causes feelings close to panic in patients. Let's figure out what darkening on the lungs looks like on an X-ray, where it comes from, what it could be and what the reason for its formation is. There are quite a few factors contributing to the appearance of black and white spots in photographs. But before moving on to considering the causes of darkening and analyzing them, you must first find out what a standard x-ray looks like.

What does a classic x-ray look like?

The classic photograph is a reverse (negative) image. The difference between a negative and a positive radiograph is that there is an inverse shadow correspondence. That is, the light parts in the picture show organs with maximum density, which retain and absorb X-rays, and the darker areas, respectively, show less dense tissues and voids that allow radiation to pass through unhindered.

Healthy lungs in the picture look like this: the right one is short and wide, the left one is long and narrow, which corresponds to the norm. These areas should be transparent, as they contain a large volume of air and practically do not interfere with the passage of X-rays.

Reasons for the appearance of spots in the photo

There can be many reasons for the appearance of spots. Only a qualified radiologist can give a complete transcript. Nevertheless, we can identify the main reasons why darkening occurs in a fluorography image:

• foci of active tuberculosis and post-tuberculosis changes;
• the occurrence of a benign or malignant tumor;
• consequences of smoking;
• post-traumatic lesions;
• accumulation of intrapleural fluid;
• bronchitis types of diseases;
• the presence of abscesses.

The location of the spot plays a big role. Depending on its location - on the right or left lung, in the lower or upper part - the value of this darkening may also change. To find out the true cause of the shadow in the picture, you need to consult a specialized specialist.

Types of shading

The spots in the lungs in the fluorography image are noticeably different from each other in appearance. It may be a dark or white spot. There are such deviations as enlarged (with acute bronchitis, pneumonia) or stringy roots (which indicate chronic bronchitis, smoking), as well as bilateral linear shadows (with tuberculous infiltrate and cavity). It may not even be a spot, but just a white dot. In medicine, it is customary to classify darkening into several main types:

• focal;
• focal;
• segmental;
• indefinite shape;
• shared;
• with the presence of liquid.

Based on the type of darkening, the doctor will be able to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe a course of treatment.

Focal darkening in the lungs

Shadows of this type arise due to inflammatory, tumor, scar processes that affect the respiratory organs, or due to vascular pathology. Despite the fact that the size of such darkening does not exceed one and a half centimeters, they can cause serious illnesses. They look like a small clear shadow on a fluorography image, the so-called nodule spot. The cause of their occurrence is often impossible to determine, as is the nature; in such cases, additional examinations are necessary. Focal, or focal-like, darkening varies in size, location, intensity, and can be single, multiple, scattered and disseminated. If focal darkening is found along with symptoms such as fever, headache, cough, or a feeling of heaviness in the chest, this may be the first sign of bronchopneumonia.

Ring shadow syndrome

A darkening in the form of a ring-shaped shadow on an x-ray is a sign of a decay cavity. It may indicate several pathologies. The main and most common means that there was contact with a person with tuberculosis, but the body was able to enclose the tuberculosis bacillus in a calcium shell and prevent it from developing, that is, calcification was formed. The reasons for such a shadow can also be:

• abscess;
• air cyst;
• disintegrating tumor.

To make an accurate diagnosis, you will need to undergo further examination.

Circular focal shades

Focal, or circular, eclipses often exceed the size of one centimeter and are also one of the signs of the onset of the disease. Focal shadows require careful investigation, as they can be signs of dangerous conditions such as:

The causes of the appearance of focal or spherical shadows can be cysts (congenital or acquired). They may even indicate the appearance of the following types of tumor processes:

• sarcoma and metastases are malignant;
• hamartochondroma, adenoma and fibroma are benign.

Segmental and lobar darkening

The darkening present in the fluorography image can be localized in the form of single segments with very different contours. Often segmental darkening has the shape of a triangle. There may be more than one area with similar shadows. In order to determine the exact cause of their occurrence, you will need to undergo a full examination. The presence of single segments may indicate:

• endobronchial tumors;
• presence of a foreign body or mechanical damage.

But the appearance of a group of segments is much more dangerous and may indicate:

• pneumonia;
• the presence of tuberculosis or other inflammations;
• central cancer;
• metastases of malignant tumors in other organs.

Lobar darkening, although similar to segmental darkening, still has differences. The contours of the shadow are clearly visible and easily defined. They can have different shapes. The presence of such spots means:

• chronic lung disease;
• the presence of bronchial obstruction.

If the lower or middle part of the lung is darkened, this indicates the presence of a malignant or benign tumor.

Shading of an indeterminate shape

If the image reveals a spot on the lungs of an indeterminate shape, in most cases this indicates the presence of staphylococcal pneumonia. This disease has several forms:

• primary - may occur due to an inflammatory process in the tissues of the lung or bronchi;
• secondary - may manifest itself due to the development of a purulent focus in the body.

Nowadays this disease is quite common. In addition to pneumonia, this type of darkening indicates tissue swelling, the presence of a tumor, hemorrhage and other pathologies. The exact source of the stain can be determined after the necessary laboratory tests.

If the appearance of this kind of spots is accompanied by the presence of metastases, fever, weakness and cough, this may mean a cancerous tumor, inflammation of the lung or the presence of pleurisy.

Darkening with liquid

If fluid is visible on fluorography, this indicates swelling of the organ. This condition occurs due to increased pulmonary capillary pressure or decreased protein levels in the body. Edema is divided into two types, it is divided according to the causes of its occurrence:

• hydrostatic edema. Its cause is increased intravascular pressure, as a result of which fluid enters the alveoli and fills the lung. The cause of such edema may be diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• membranous edema. It occurs due to the accumulation of toxins in the body, as a result of which fluid also enters the lung.

In order to determine the cause of the spot, an X-ray in additional projections, a computed tomography scan, and interpretation of the resulting sections by a professional are required.

Total blackout syndrome

By total darkening we mean darkening of the entire lung field on an x-ray. The darkening can be one-sided or two-sided.

Double-sided dimming most often indicates:

• toxic or cardiac pulmonary edema;
• staphylococcal pneumonia;
• pleural moorings.

One-sided darkening is also divided into several subtypes:

• homogeneous;
• total;
• intense.

Homogeneous darkening may indicate atelectasis of the lung or complete absence of the organ (for example, with a congenital disease). Total shadows are observed with inflammatory infiltration or pleural scarring. The presence of intense darkening indicates encysted pleurisy or an extensive pulmonary cyst.

In general, total darkening indicates serious health problems, so taking a second X-ray and consulting an independent doctor is the best decision.

What dark spots look like on an x-ray in various diseases

X-ray allows you to visually study the condition of the lung tissue, based on the presence or absence of shadows, the correspondence of their shape and concentration to the normal picture, which may mean the presence or exclusion of pathological processes. If the darkening is accompanied by characteristic symptoms, then additional blood tests may not be needed.

Tuberculosis

If a linear darkening of the lung in the upper part is detected on fluorography, the conclusion is disappointing - it is most likely tuberculosis. But if there is no cough, an accurate diagnosis can only be made with a complete examination of the patient. There is no point in delaying this, since detecting tuberculosis in the early stages is the key to a quick and successful recovery.

Pneumonia

If fluorography shows dark areas in the lower part of the lung, this is most likely pneumonia. You can see the symptoms of the disease more clearly in the photograph taken at the culmination point of its course. On film, such specific spots look fuzzy and have a very heterogeneous structure.

The presence of such shadows in a healthy person indicates that he has had pneumonia or bronchitis. With complete recovery, these spots will disappear completely.

Lung cancer

One of the most terrible diagnoses remains, of course, cancer. A characteristic spot in the lungs, visible on an x-ray, may indicate the development of this disease. It is worth noting that as long as the size of the formations is less than 2 mm, it is difficult to make a medical conclusion using fluorography, but when they reach 3 mm, it becomes possible to establish a diagnosis; for this, the image is taken in two different projections: frontal and lateral.

The presence of cancer is indicated by the presence of a shadow with a blurring outline. A large white spot stands out against its background, which indicates the disintegration of the tumor.

To make a final diagnosis, just an image will not be enough; you will need to undergo a full range of examinations prescribed by specialists.

Pleurisy

During their work, doctors have to deal with various common symptoms, such as cough, fever or, for example, weakness in the body. Patients, as a rule, do not attach much importance to them, but these ordinary signs may be indicators of fluid accumulation in the pleural cavity. In photographs this phenomenon is not expressed by any rigid geometric contours. Darkening of an unclear form represents pathological changes in the tissues of the lungs and may turn out to be nothing more than staphylococcal pneumonia.

According to medical statistics, staphylococcal pneumonia is becoming more common. The darkening itself in the image indicates tissue edema, internal hemorrhage, pulmonary infarction, tumor and the very appearance of pleural fluid, as well as other diseases that can be detected through laboratory tests.

Nicotine addiction

Many patients who seek help from doctors suffer from nicotine addiction, and today this is not uncommon. If the x-ray shows darkening, smoking may be the cause. This is due to the fact that cavities form in the bronchi, and the biggest difficulty is that at first glance it is difficult to determine the structural boundaries of the roots of the lungs. They are usually too blurry. This is explained by the fact that the pulmonary vessels begin to enlarge due to respiratory failure, which is why blurring is observed on the contours of the roots. But despite this, an X-ray of a smoker has a chance to reveal various diseases of the respiratory system, including tuberculosis and lung cancer.

With paragonimiasis

In the initial stages, paraganimosis occurs as an acute allergic disease. During this period, it is difficult to make a diagnosis, since there are practically no symptoms. Later, specific symptoms appear, such as cough and chest pain.

Fluorography shows characteristic foci with radial shadows.

For candidiasis

A spot on the picture may indicate the presence of candidiasis. In some cases, miliary opacities occur.

The symptoms of the disease are similar to bronchitis. A complication of the disease can be pleurisy.

For diffuse pneumosclerosis

If the image shows increased transparency of the lung tissue, this may indicate the presence of diffuse pneumosclerosis. It is often combined with focal eclipses.

Symptoms of the disease are cough with sputum, shortness of breath and general weakness.

For fever

If the darkening on fluorography has a large focus and uneven edges, these are symptoms of fever. Often it has pronounced symptoms, so a picture with such signs is already an additional confirmation of the disease.

Excessive sweating, chest pain and shortness of breath are the first signs of this condition.

Presence of a foreign body in the lungs

It happens that a spot on an x-ray in the lungs indicates the presence of a foreign body. Most often, this affects children, who tend to taste everything and, through negligence, can swallow an object. To the chagrin of doctors, such foreign bodies cannot always be detected using x-rays, so in such cases it is recommended to resort to endoscopic diagnostic methods. One of the main signs of foreign elements in the lungs is the presence of light spots. It is also important that it is not possible to make a diagnosis based on a fluorogram of the lungs alone; in such situations, this issue must be dealt with by a highly qualified radiologist.

What to do if spots are detected on an x-ray

The most correct decision in this situation would be not to panic. There is no need to treat spots detected during fluorography of the lungs until a full examination has been completed. As has already become clear, there can be many reasons for their appearance, so you cannot make a diagnosis yourself without consulting a specialized doctor.

If abnormalities in the pulmonary pattern are detected, you should contact a specialist: a pulmonologist or a phthisiatrician. To clarify the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes:

• General and biochemical analysis of blood and urine;
• X-ray in the necessary projections;
• Diaskintest or sputum culture to detect the presence of tuberculosis pathogens;
• computed tomography of the lungs;
• bronchoscopy of the lungs or tracheobronchoscopy, when the respiratory organs are examined using a probe that is inserted through the nose.

There is no point in postponing treatment, especially if darkening is detected on the child’s lungs. A timely, accurate diagnosis will help quickly defeat the disease.

Quite often, to provide the most informative and accurate state of the respiratory organs, doctors prescribe such a common study as an x-ray. This procedure is often indicated in order to clarify the result of previously performed fluorography or based on the general clinical picture of the patient’s condition. For example, with certain lung diseases, the density of some lung tissues becomes increased. In the resulting images, each of which shows the condition of the lungs, similar phenomena are noted in the form of spots and darkening in the lungs on the X-ray.

If the patient is informed about the discovery of spots, the first reaction of most is fear, many think that this is a malignant formation. Cancer gives some darkening, but is far from the only reason for the appearance of spots. In order to avoid wasting unnecessary nerves, and also to begin to act as quickly as possible when blackouts are detected, it is worth studying their types, as well as becoming familiar with the main reasons for their occurrence.

Causes of spots on the received images

The main reasons for the appearance of spots or darkening in an x-ray photo can be the following causes of darkening in the lungs:

If such darkening is detected, doctors usually prescribe additional forms of examination. This is based precisely on a large number of reasons that can lead to their formation. Competent treatment is prescribed only after the nature of the formations and the causes of darkening in the lungs have been fully established. Normal symptoms and health status are taken into account.

When diagnosed with pneumonia, an x-ray is the only option to identify a serious illness.

What spots might there be in the picture?

In the process of conducting an additional medical examination and carefully studying the resulting images, the specialist evaluates the darkening according to the following parameters:

• The location of the spot is the upper, lower or middle part of the lung. It can also be the outer, inner and middle lobe of this organ. This way you can get a clear picture of the disease;
• The size makes it possible to determine the total area of ​​pathology;
• Level of expression. Based on this feature, the degree of density of the lesion present can be determined. The severity can be moderate, weak and intense;
• General outline. Pay attention to whether the stain has smooth or uneven edges. Often on this basis it is possible to determine the nature of education.

In addition to the differences listed above, spots in the image can be classified according to other criteria. Doctors must take them into account in order to establish a more accurate diagnosis.

Spots and dark spots that occur in the lungs and trachea can be characterized by their location, but also by appearance and general shape. The distribution is as follows:

1. Share. The spot has a clear outline and can be particularly concave or significantly convex. Darkening can develop against the background of inflammation, cirrhosis or destruction. If a spot of this type is located in the middle or lower part of the lung, the doctor may suspect a malignant formation.
2. Focal. These are relatively small centimeter-sized formations that can prove the presence of inflammation, the development of pathology of veins and blood vessels, as well as the development of peripheral cancer, dangerous tuberculosis and sudden pulmonary infarction. If such lesions were found against the background of headache, cough and pain, bronchial pneumonia can be judged.
3. Indefinite in form. These are special spots that do not have a bright expression or outline. To give the patient the most accurate diagnosis, more modern types of examination, such as CT or MRI, are prescribed. Such white spots often indicate pathologies such as pleurisy, pneumonia, hemorrhage, as well as various types of tumors. The diagnosis is confirmed not only by CT scan, but also by laboratory tests.
4. Liquid. This is direct evidence of pulmonary edema. The fluid collected in the lungs may be due to increased pressure in numerous vessels and the degree of permeability of their alveolar wall. In this case, the liquid immediately enters the lung tissue, disrupting its functionality.
5. Segmental. We are talking about darkening in the form of a triangle. This is evidence of pathologies such as a cancerous tumor, various benign formations, pneumonia, the presence of metastases coming from other organs, tuberculosis and fluid accumulation. The doctor’s competence is very important here, since the earlier measures are taken, the greater the chance the patient will have if a fatal pathology is detected.
6. Focus. As a rule, these are single spots, the size of which is on average 1 cm. Such lesions arise against the background of pneumonia, with increased fluid content in the organs, breathing, tuberculosis, and they can also be cysts and purulent abscesses.

Making an accurate diagnosis based on the type and location of spots alone is impossible. It is for this reason that additional high-quality examination is required.

If darkening is visible in the picture, you should immediately consult a doctor who can identify or exclude the presence of a dangerous disease.

Decoding of received images

A few minutes after the fluorography examination, a person receives a picture and its detailed transcript. Comments on the image may contain the following information in the form of medical terms, each of which characterizes certain health problems:

• Enlargement of the roots of the right or left lung, which may indicate bronchitis or pneumonia; Heavy roots are special pathological changes that occur due to smoking or acute bronchitis;
• The presence of an in-depth pattern of the vessels of the right or left lung indicates a violation of blood circulation in the respiratory organs, various problems with blood vessels and the heart, bronchitis, as well as inflammation in the lungs, which may be the initial stage of the oncological process;
• Fibrosis and fibrous tissue are a consequence of previous surgical interventions and injuries;
• Focal shadows, which are specific shadows. If such shadows are accompanied by an increase in the general vascular pattern, the doctor can judge pneumonia;
• Calcifications of the right or left lung - means that the person had contact with a patient with tuberculosis. At the same time, the healthy body of an uninfected person encloses the rod in a calcium shell. It is the power of immunity that prevents the spread of infection;
• Changes in the diaphragm - all this can be the consequences of problems such as obesity, pleurisy, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Spots and dark spots found in the image can be evidence of several dozen different diseases; it is for this reason that after the x-ray it is necessary to continue a high-quality medical examination of the right or left lung.

Follow-up examination

To conduct further examination, the doctor may send the patient to a pulmonologist or oncologist, where he will be shown to undergo certain specific procedures. Here are the most common ones:

1. This may be a diaskintest, which can determine the presence of tuberculosis. If we compare this procedure with Mantoux, which quite often gives a false and inaccurate result, such an examination does not respond to BCG, which often shows a complete absence of a problem in the child. This is an ideal opportunity to diagnose tuberculosis as accurately as possible.
2. The study of sputum of children and adults is another mandatory analysis that is carried out in the laboratory. Based on the results obtained, it is possible to detect tubercle bacilli, the presence of malignant cells, as well as various impurities that may be characteristic of certain pathological conditions.
3. Quite often, doctors prescribe a more modern examination method - computed tomography of the lungs. This is an additional, informative method for diagnosing diseases of the lung tissue, pleura and mediastinum. It turned out that this is the most reliable method.
4. Lung bronchoscopy or tracheobronchoscopy may also be used. This procedure is performed using medical endoscopes that are quite flexible in design and are inserted through the nose. Through this form of examination, you can see the lungs and also take material, completely painlessly. The collected material, as a rule, is subjected to subsequent diagnostics - bacterial, histological and cytological.

If a doctor suspects lung cancer based on an x-ray, a tumor marker test may be prescribed. The analysis makes it possible to detect specific proteins that are usually produced by emerging malignant tumors.

Summing up

If darkening or light spots are found in the picture, do not panic when you see the picture. The best solution in this case would be to strictly follow the doctor’s recommendations. The specialist will conduct a more detailed additional examination to clarify the diagnosis. This is the only way to develop the highest quality treatment, take timely measures and thereby prevent quite serious complications.

If an x-ray shows a shadow in the lungs, this may indicate a dangerous pathology or physiological condition. Remember that a radiograph is a summation of the thickness of anatomical structures.

X-ray darkening syndrome in the lungs appears on the image as a white spot of various sizes (focal, segmental, subtotal, total). Many anatomical structures and pathological changes are involved in its formation.

If an x-ray shows darkening in the lungs, what does this mean? Let's take a closer look in the article.

What causes “darkening” in the lungs in the picture?

Depending on the location, the white spot can be:

• pulmonary;
• extrapulmonary.

Darkness in the lungs occurs due to:

• tissue compaction during the inflammatory process;
• tumor growth;
• localized abscesses or cysts;
• collapse of lung tissue with atelectasis;
• tuberculosis.

Extrapulmonary causes of darkening on a chest x-ray:

• fluid in the pleural cavity;
• exudative and encysted inflammation of the pleura;
• pathological formations in the spine and ribs;
• mediastinal tumors;
• aortic aneurysm;
• swollen lymph nodes;
• diseases of the esophagus and intestines (hernias);
• pathology of the diaphragm;
• lipoma in the costophrenic sinus.

X-ray. Round formation in the projection of the right root (enlarged lymph node)

The main causes of dark spots in the lung on an x-ray

Describing the causes of spots in the pulmonary parenchyma, it is convenient to classify all formations into: limited and widespread.

Radiologists consider a limited darkening to be a shadow that does not exceed 1.5 cm in diameter. In shape, these formations can be round, oval, lumpy or irregular in structure. With encysted pleurisy, the white spot has a triangular shape. Similar shadows can be seen in atelectasis.

Causes of extensive darkening:

• exudative pleurisy;
• pneumonia;
• miliary tuberculosis;
• pulmonary edema.

White spots in the image are also caused by artifacts (foreign bodies).

To make a correct diagnosis when detecting opacification syndrome, a radiologist must have knowledge of nosological forms of diseases and have practical experience in interpreting chest x-rays. Young specialists are afraid to perform radiography in a lateral projection, since in these images the image is formed by summing up many anatomical formations, which significantly complicates the detection of diseases.

Sometimes darkening in the pulmonary parenchyma is a consequence of pneumonia and persists in a person for years. Such patients are classified as X-ray positive, which is indicated accordingly in the X-ray diagnostic passport.

X-ray of the lungs showed a dark spot - what is it?

If there is a dark spot on the x-ray, increased airiness of the lung tissue should be suspected. The syndrome can be limited or widespread. The shape is: round, oval, triangular.

Segmental darkening on a radiograph with a path to the root (peripheral cancer)

A round dark spot is observed on an image of the lungs with an hydatid cyst. True, around the formation there is a clear white outline formed by the wall of the cyst.

Emphysema (increased airiness of the alveoli) is manifested by total clearing on both sides. With a local emphysematous bulla, the dark spot is limited to several ribs or a segment.

X-ray diagnosis of this syndrome is not difficult for radiologists who have seen many images of the chest organs during their practical work.

How dangerous is darkening or clearing in the lungs?

Darkening and clearing in the pulmonary parenchyma - is it dangerous? To answer this question, the doctor should analyze a set of laboratory and instrumental methods and examine the person. Only after this can he say whether enlightenment or darkening is really dangerous.

X-ray diagnostics is an auxiliary diagnostic method. It is designed to supplement information about the condition of patients’ organs and tissues. If you pay attention to the protocol for describing the radiograph, the end point there is the “conclusion” of the radiologist, but not the “diagnosis”. This approach is adopted in medicine due to the fact that X-ray radiation “passes” through many anatomical structures, some of which are not displayed on film.

It is easy to differentiate total darkening after obtaining the results of other diagnostic methods. Because of this, the sanitary rules state that x-ray examinations are carried out only after all other types of diagnostic tests have been carried out. The approach allows not only to reliably verify the conclusion, but also to select the optimal projections to obtain maximum information from the images.

X-ray images of various types of dark spots in the lungs

The term “darkening in the lungs” is used when identifying any pulmonary pathology. Every adult knows what fluorography is. This screening study allows you to identify pathology in the lungs, mediastinum and chest wall. Regular preventive examinations, including this examination, allow you to identify diseases in the early stages. Currently, according to WHO recommendations, ordinary people need to undergo fluorography once every two years. It is recommended that kindergarten workers, teachers, doctors and food industry workers do this study once a year.

What does darkening mean and how is it detected?

The pathology of the chest organs detected during fluorography is formulated by doctors as “darkening in the lungs.” Moreover, this formulation hides any reason that is not necessarily of a malignant nature. A large number of diseases can manifest as a shadow in the lung, ranging from banal pulmonary fibrosis to cancer. To exclude false data when pathological changes are detected, it is recommended to perform an X-ray examination of the chest organs.

However, it is not fundamental when making a diagnosis. But it allows you to eliminate errors in the interpretation of fluorographic data, excluding the presence of various artifacts, defects in the film itself and the examination technique.

The most detailed examination of the chest organs is computed tomography. It allows you to make a diagnosis with a high degree of probability and decide on further treatment tactics.

It is worth knowing that any lung disease is manifested by a change in the lung tissue, characterized by its compaction and subsequently a violation of airiness. It is these areas that form the pathological focus. In some cases, these changes may mask more serious pathology and cause poor outcomes. Moreover, the radiological term “darkening” is actually manifested by the appearance of light areas on the radiograph.

An x-ray is often prescribed for an informative examination of the condition of the lungs. Its implementation may be indicated to clarify fluorography data or the clinical picture of the patient’s illness. Since in diseases of the lungs the density of tissue in the affected areas is usually increased, an x-ray will show a spot in this area of ​​the image. When a patient, looking at the resulting x-ray, sees spots on it, the first thought that comes to mind is “cancer.” What does darkening in the lungs on an x-ray mean, what could it be? And why do they arise?

Diffuse darkening - pneumonia of the entire left lung

Why do white spots appear on an x-ray?

The reasons for the appearance of white spots in the image can be various factors:

Bilateral inferior opacities in the lungs (more on the left than on the right) and slight loss of transparency on the left

For a more complete picture of the pathological process, in addition to the direct one, additional photographs are taken in the lateral and oblique projections. The doctor evaluates each spot localized on the x-ray according to a number of parameters:

• Location of blackout. It can be located in the upper, middle, and lower regions of the lung tissue. In addition, the lungs are conventionally divided into the inner zone, the middle and the outer. This makes it possible to present the picture of the pathology more clearly in the future.
• Size. Clarification of this parameter allows us to determine the area of ​​the pathological process in the lungs.
• Degree of expression. Based on this feature, the density of the lesion is determined. The spot in the image may have a strong, weak or medium intensity.
• Shading outlines. Based on the contours of the spot, smooth or uneven, clearly defined or not, the nature of the tumor or neoplasm is determined, for example.

There is another classification of spots on an x-ray, according to which the following different types of darkening are distinguished.

Lobar dimming

With this type of spot, its outline is clearly visible on an x-ray. Moreover, it can be convex, concave or rectilinear. Such darkening in the lung can occur in the case of some chronic process. This may be a purulent process, cirrhosis or a destructive process of the bronchi.

As a rule, cancer and benign formations lead to the appearance of spots in the lower and middle zone of the organ.

Patchy darkening

Such spots on the lungs are not too large in size, up to about 1 cm. They may indicate an inflammatory or other process that has just begun. In addition, the appearance of such shadows in the image may indicate vascular pathologies. Due to the uncertainty of the cause, the doctor usually refers the patient for additional examination (for example, CT scan, tests, targeted x-ray).

Focal darkening in the lungs may indicate the presence of peripheral cancer, pulmonary infarction, focal tuberculosis and other diseases. High fever, headache, cough and chest pain in combination with a similar x-ray picture raise suspicion of bronchopneumonia. A pulmonary infarction is accompanied by symptoms of heart disease, coughing up blood, and manifestations of thrombophlebitis.

Focal pneumonia

Shading of an indeterminate shape

Such spots are characterized by the absence of any specific shape and severity of outline. To make an accurate diagnosis, additional blood and urine tests are required, as well as the use of other diagnostic methods (for example, CT). Possible diseases in which vague white spots appear on an x-ray:

• pneumonia;
• pulmonary infarction;
• pleurisy;
• hemorrhage;
• tumor and others.

When making a diagnosis, laboratory data and the clinical picture of the disease are of great importance.

Liquid dimming

Sometimes tissue swelling may occur in the lungs. If the pressure in the vessels increases, then fluid can escape from them into the alveolar apparatus of the organ. In addition, a number of toxic substances can disrupt the permeability of the alveolar wall. In this case, the fluid also enters the lung tissue. The fluid in the lungs disrupts the functional activity of the organ.

Such pathologies, which most often occur when the activity of the cardiovascular system is disrupted, appear in the image as darkening.

Segmental shading

Segmental pneumonia

If it has the shape of a triangle, then this indicates diseases such as:

• cancerous tumor;
• benign education;
• pneumonia;
• the presence of metastases from other organs;
• tuberculosis;
• the presence of fluid in the pleural cavity, and so on.

It is mandatory to prescribe an additional comprehensive examination to make a correct diagnosis. In this case, the experience and competence of the doctor are of great importance.

Focal dimming

They are represented by round single spots about 1 cm. They can occur with diseases such as:

• pneumonia;
• increased fluid content;
• tuberculosis (tuberculoma);
• cysts;
• abscesses.

Pulmonary tuberculoma

Sometimes they are evidence of the presence of cancer or a benign tumor (lipoma, adenoma). In any case, additional examination is necessary.

What to do if spots are detected on an x-ray?

If there are dark or light shadows in your photo, there is no need to panic. The best way out in such a situation is not to paint pictures of a terrible future, but to strictly follow the doctor’s instructions.

In general, if shadows are detected on an x-ray, a thorough additional examination is required. Find out from your doctor what other diagnostic methods can provide the information necessary to clarify the diagnosis, and go through them. Also ask what diseases or disorders may give the same picture. Maybe the reason is hidden in a completely different place.

One of the radiation diagnostic methods is X-ray transmission, or radiography. The resulting image is applied to a hard drive, special film or paper.

Purpose of the examination

X-ray of the lungs is the most common and informative research method. This diagnostic method allows you to identify the presence of respiratory diseases:

• sarcoidosis;
• pneumonia (pneumonia);
• malignant neoplasms;
• tuberculosis;
• presence of foreign objects;
• pneumothorax and other various pathological processes.

In order to prevent pulmonary diseases in citizens employed in hazardous industries (chemical industry, construction (masons), mining (miners), etc.), X-rays of the lungs are performed once a year (more often if necessary). What do research results show in such cases?

The fluoroscopy response makes it possible to promptly prevent or recognize the disease and prescribe the necessary medication or other therapy.

The effect of radiation on the human body

Radiation exposure is considered radiation exposure, and some people refuse to undergo this procedure. However, this is in vain; in medicine, rays of low energy are used, negligible, and the human body is exposed to them for a short period. A few years ago, scientists proved that even repeated X-rays (for medical indications) are not capable of harming health. In some cases, this procedure is also prescribed for pregnant women. Serious diseases that can be diagnosed using x-rays have more serious consequences than the minimum dose of radiation. As an alternative to conventional traditional X-rays, digital X-rays with an even lower radiation dose are now available.

Indications

Let's look at the symptoms for which the attending doctor prescribes a chest x-ray. What the image shows will determine the tactics for further management of the patient.

1. Periodic pain in the sternum.
2. Dyspnea.
3. High body temperature that lasts for a long time.
4. Blood in sputum.
5. Prolonged exhausting cough.
6. A large amount of sputum discharge.
7. Dry cough.

For the purpose of prevention, fluorography, or x-ray, is indicated to all citizens at least once every two years or more often in accordance with the recommendations of a medical professional.

Preparation and carrying out the procedure

You have been prescribed a lung x-ray, how can you prepare for it? No preliminary preparation is required. Before carrying out the procedure, you must remove jewelry (chains, beads, necklaces) so that they do not distort the result. Immediately before the procedure, your healthcare provider will ask you to wear a special skirt that wraps around your waist to protect your genitals from radiation. Next, the doctor selects the required projection (anterior, posterior, or sometimes the picture is taken in a side-lying position).

Depending on the equipment on which the X-ray of the lungs was performed, the results will be instantaneous (digital method) or after some time after processing and developing the film.

X-ray results

Did you take an X-ray of your lungs? Let's look at what the transcript shows below:

1. Diaphragm defects.
2. Presence Rule out tumor or pleurisy.
3. A cavity in the lung indicates necrosis of the lung tissue. Diagnose tuberculosis, cancer or abscess.
4. Small focal darkening is a sign of pneumonia and tuberculosis. Large - tumor of the bronchi, metastases to the lungs.
5. Small lesions that are very common are sarcoidosis or tuberculosis.
6. A large, round shadow indicates advanced tuberculosis or a malignant neoplasm.

With the exception of the above, other changes in the lung tissue and lungs are detected, which help make the correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment. Unfortunately, there are cases of false results, or in cases where the study is carried out in the early stages of the disease, it may not be seen. For an accurate conclusion, in addition to the results obtained, other diagnostic methods are used in addition to X-rays, and the necessary laboratory tests are also carried out.

Dark spots on an x-ray

X-ray showed spots on the lungs? The reasons for their appearance may be: incorrect position of the patient during the procedure, poor-quality equipment, or the presence of pathology. Only a doctor can accurately interpret X-ray data.

Formations in the form of white spots indicate the presence of tuberculosis, bronchitis, pneumonia, pathology in the pleura, and occupational diseases. If a person has had bronchitis or pneumonia, then spots can be detected on an x-ray. They are regarded as residual manifestations of the disease, and they will disappear after some time.

If light spots are found in the upper parts of the lung, then tuberculosis is diagnosed, the main sign at the first stage of which is a light path running from the place where there is an inflammatory process to the root system. With timely and proper treatment, inflammation decreases and tissues undergo scarring. Instead of white, a dark spot appears in the photo.

If an X-ray of the lungs shows that black spots are visible, this indicates an exacerbation and the presence of chronic pneumonia. After a course of drug treatment and complete recovery, the spots disappear. Dark formations can also cause malignant pathologies. The detection of dark spots in a practically healthy person indicates many years of smoking; in children, it indicates a foreign body.

Does X-ray show pneumonia?

X-ray examination for pneumonia is both a method of identifying the disease and monitoring its course.

In order to recognize pneumonia, you need to know what the spots look like on pictures with this pathology. They may differ in size and location:

• global spotty formations on the entire surface of the lungs;
• subtotal - all fields (with the exception of the upper lobes);
• segmental - spots within the boundaries of a segment;
• small spotted formations up to 3 mm with limited margins.

As a result of the development of the inflammatory process in the human lungs, fuzzy spots with blurred contours are formed and an x-ray shows inflammation of the lungs. The manifestation of spotty formations depends on the stage of the disease. The spots are more pronounced in advanced cases.

for bronchitis

The symptoms of the disease are similar to pneumonia. To confirm the diagnosis during a protracted course of the disease, certain types of examinations are prescribed, including x-rays, which will assess the condition of the respiratory system and clarify the diagnosis.

Symptoms in the patient for which fluorography is indicated (x-ray of the lungs shows bronchitis in this case):

• changes in the blood, according to laboratory tests;
• severe constant shortness of breath;
• prolonged increase in body temperature;
• suspicion of inflammation in the lungs;
• signs of obstruction.

Based on the results of the study, X-ray photographs pay attention to the following points in the lungs:

• fuzzy outlines;
• presence of root deformation;
• changes in the drawing;
• presence of lamellar lesions;
• areas of fluid accumulation.

The opinions of specialists about the information content of X-rays in identifying the disease bronchitis are divided. However, this type of research is widely used in practical medicine.

X-ray for tuberculosis

If you suspect this serious disease, this type of lung examination will allow you to exclude or confirm pathology.

The advantages of fluoroscopy for pulmonary tuberculosis are the ability to:

• carry out various diagnostics of the disease;
• exclude other pathologies of the respiratory system, such as pneumonia, cancer, abscess and others;
• determine the nature of damage to lung tissue;
• see the extent of the lesion;
• see the location of pathological foci.

Therefore, the question of whether an x-ray will show pulmonary tuberculosis can be answered in the affirmative. However, this does not exclude additional manipulations to accurately confirm the diagnosis. X-rays reveal different types of tuberculosis:

• intrathoracic lymph nodes;
• disseminated;
• focal;
• infiltration;
• caseous pneumonia;
• fibrous-cavernous;
• cirrhotic.

Does X-ray show lung cancer?

This disease is one of the most serious human ailments in recent decades. Chest X-ray is considered a diagnostic method for identifying this pathology at the earliest stages of its development. Signs or symptoms of the disease may include:

• lethargy, constant drowsiness and weakness;
• performance at zero;
• regular fevers with apparent well-being;
• dyspnea;
• whistling breathing;
• lingering cough that does not respond to therapy;
• secretion of sputum with blood;
• lack of appetite;
• during coughing attacks, the presence of pain.

To exclude the disease, the doctor prescribes an examination. An X-ray will definitely show lung cancer, since this method is highly informative.

Depending on the type of tumor and its location, the appearance on X-ray images will be different. To make an accurate diagnosis, the attending doctor will conduct additional examinations and, after assessing the patient’s general condition, prescribe adequate therapy.

X-ray of the lungs in children

If your child is prescribed an x-ray, you should familiarize yourself with the following points:

• is there an alternative type of examination;
• Is there a vital need for this procedure?

If in doubt, seek advice from another specialist.

In exceptional cases, the younger generation is prescribed radiography. Basically, when this is the only manipulation with which it is possible to exclude or confirm the diagnosis.

One of the parents also comes into the office with the child. In order to reduce the negative effects of radiation, all parts of the body of the baby and his representative are protected with lead shields. The procedure lasts a few minutes, and your baby will not get tired. If an X-ray of the lungs shows that there is a focus of pathology, the doctor will prescribe treatment and the child will recover quickly.

Fluoroscopy is an effective method for diagnosing various diseases and, in experienced hands, provides invaluable assistance to the medical community.

Preventative medical examinations must be completed annually. One of the mandatory activities of a periodic medical examination is a fluorographic examination of the lungs - this is done for the early detection of diseases. An alarming signal will be pathological darkening in the lungs. The reasons for such manifestations may be different, and in order to identify them accurately, the doctor will definitely prescribe an additional examination. The symptom of darkening of the lungs established during fluorography is not a diagnosis of the disease, but an indicator of the presence of a variety of diseases.

Darkening of the lungs on an x-ray

What is darkening of the lungs?

Pulmonary diseases are mainly accompanied by compactions in the tissues of the lungs; this occurs due to a decrease or absence of air permeability in certain areas of the organ, which appears on X-ray examination as darkened spots. Such a symptom may indicate pathological processes both in the lung itself and beyond.

Image of the bronchi. In the normal state of the bronchi, their image can rarely be obtained and only on radiographs taken from lean subjects, and the shadows from them are obtained in the form of contoured, more or less narrow stripes with a light gap between them. This image is obtained by projecting the rays perpendicular to the lumen of the bronchus; if the rays outlining the bronchus lie more or less parallel to its lumen, then the image is drawn in the form of a light circle with a dark ring-shaped rim.

When examining the image of the bronchi on an x-ray, we must not forget about the summation of shadows, since two shadows covering each other from two tissues that are identical and different in density are added together and give a darker darkening in density. Arteries and veins are adjacent to the bronchi on both sides. The shadow of the vessel may disappear at the place where the projection coincides with the projection of the bronchial lumen, and intensify when it coincides with the shadow of the bronchial wall.

Recently, the method of bronchography, i.e., radiography after the introduction of a contrast agent indifferent to the body (lipiodol, etc.) into the trachea and bronchi, has become of great importance for the diagnosis of certain diseases of the bronchi (especially bronchiectasis) and lungs. These substances are usually injected under the control of a laryngoscopic speculum into the trachea after preliminary cocaine anesthesia. The injected contrast agent is subsequently partly absorbed (iodipine, lipiodol) and partly expectorated.

Image of the lungs. The lungs on the x-ray and the screen are drawn in the form of two bright fields, covered, as it were, with a cage of intersecting ribs. The light appearance of the lungs is due to the content of air in them, which, like other gases, transmits more rays than liquid and solid bodies.

X-ray image of pneumonia: darkening in the lung (upper lobe of the right lung).

Primary pneumonia develops more often, of which focal pneumonia is more common.

3. Hypoventilation of lung tissue: reduction in the volume of a segment, lobe of the lung; strengthening of the vascular pattern, the appearance of a spotty character of shadows against its background, a gradual increase in their number and size, the merging of these shadows into larger areas of darkening. This radiological symptom of central lung cancer is observed with partial bronchial stenosis (Fig. 42).

Rice. 42. Central cancer of the left lung with hypoventilation of the upper lobe, throughout which there is a noticeable enhancement of the pattern and areas of inhomogeneous darkening; in the left root there are enlarged lymph nodes.

6. Calcium metabolism disorder– excess calcium is deposited in various organs, including the lungs (for example, with collagenosis). In this case, multiple calcifications are detected throughout all fields of the lungs.
What do calcifications look like on radiographs?

Calcification in the lung – This is a small (up to 1 cm) area of ​​darkening, has the intensity of bone tissue, and on an x-ray they look like intense white dots. Calcifications can be single or multiple (more than 3-4).

Signs of calcifications after tuberculosis:

• the presence of calcifications in the root of the lung (in the intrathoracic lymph nodes) and/or in the lung tissue;
• single calcifications;
• there are no signs of active tuberculosis of the lungs or other organs;
• positive Mantoux and Diaskintest test;
• presence of contacts with tuberculosis patients in the past and other risk factors for tuberculosis.

Calcifications resulting from spontaneously cured tuberculosis contain dormant tuberculosis bacilli, which, with decreased immunity or lack of calcium in the body, can be activated and cause an active tuberculosis process. Such calcifications are especially dangerous for children; they are like a “powder keg” that can go off at any time (for example, in adolescence). Moreover, such a relapse of tuberculosis is difficult, often in the form of a widespread and/or extrapulmonary process. Therefore, it is very important for such children to undergo a course of preventive treatment in order to reduce the risk of developing active tuberculosis in the future, as well as to monitor the condition of calcifications using an x-ray method 1-2 times a year.
What to do if calcification is detected in the lung?

• For children and teenagers – mandatory consultation with a phthisiatrician to exclude active tuberculosis and undergo preventive treatment.
• For adults you can do nothing if there are no symptoms of the disease and signs of active tuberculosis in the body, and in the case presence of HIV infection A course of isoniazid prophylaxis is recommended.
• In some cases, additional examination is necessary: computed tomography, bronchoscopy, sputum analysis, Mantoux test, blood test for antibodies to worms, and so on.

During a preventive examination of a 1-year-old child, unvaccinated with BCG, due to tuberculosis contact with an uncle, radiographs and computed tomography revealed calcifications in the right lung. The phthisiatrician prescribed preventive treatment for spontaneously cured tuberculosis, which the mother refused.

Photo : computed tomography (CT) slice of the lungs of a 1-year-old child. Diagnosis: spontaneous cure of the primary tuberculosis complex with residual changes in the form of calcifications.

After 1.5 years, at the age of 2.5 years, the boy was admitted to the children's department, the mother complained that the child stopped walking, became restless, refused to eat, lost weight, and began to have a fever. An X-ray of the hip joints revealed almost complete destruction of the left hip joint. The mother did not report a “tuberculosis history” to the orthopedic doctors; the child was operated on by surgeons for osteomyelitis; upon examination of the postoperative material, bone tuberculosis was revealed. While we were waiting for histology results, the child's condition worsened sharply; the child developed tuberculous meningoencephalitis, and subsequently tuberculosis of the lymph nodes and bronchi was detected.

Photo: CT scan of the head of a 2.5 year old child. The diagnosis is tuberculous meningoencephalitis.

X-ray of the hip joints of the same child . Diagnosis: tuberculosis of the right hip joint with its complete destruction.
This is how ordinary calcification in the lung without treatment led to the development of severe disseminated tuberculosis in the baby. The child survived and was cured, but remained disabled for life.

The root of the lung is changed and expanded, what could it be?

X-rays detect smokers by indirect signs: strengthening and deformation of the pulmonary pattern, accumulation of calcifications in the roots.

Indirect signs of disease in the image do not at all mean the presence of pathology. To establish a diagnosis, a comprehensive analysis of the results of clinical diagnostic research methods is necessary.

As a result, a chest x-ray is performed after other examinations. This approach is also used for the purpose of radiation safety of the patient, because sometimes obtaining the results of other research methods eliminates the need for an x-ray examination.

What does the radiologist find in the image?

Professional interpretation of images involves using many specialized terms. As a result, the protocol of a specialist’s conclusion is very difficult for an ordinary person to understand.

How dangerous is darkening or clearing in the lungs?

As noted above, the localization factor of the process is not important in the differential diagnosis of cancer and tuberculosis. The tumor node can be located in any segment of the lung. True, as with central cancer, there is a slight predominance of frequency in the upper lobes.

Despite the noted difficulties, a general x-ray examination, including images and tomography taking into account clinical data, allows the correct diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer to be established in at least 80% of cases. Doubts remain in those rare cases when tuberculosis and cancer have an atypical picture. Insurmountable difficulties arise in cases where peripheral cancer has the appearance of a solitary node of a rounded shape of a homogeneous structure with clear contours, located against the background of unchanged surrounding lung tissue in the complete absence of clinical manifestations. General X-ray examination in such cases is ineffective in differentiating peripheral cancer, tuberculoma, benign tumor or cyst. In these cases, the program of additional examination of the patient is completed by percutaneous transthoracic and endoscopic transbronchial puncture.

Peripheral cancer disintegrates quite often. In some cases, the tumor disintegrates completely, taking on the appearance of a thin-walled cystic formation. And yet, with a thorough tomographic examination, especially computed tomography, it is possible to detect the remains of tumor tissue in the form of an uneven thickening of the wall of such a cyst, and tissue detritus and sequesters can be seen in the cavity itself.

Pancoast cancer is a type of peripheral cancer. This is cancer of the apex of the lung that spreads to the chest. This form is characterized by infiltrative growth, destruction of the ribs, the appearance of sharp pain in the arm and Horner's triad (miosis, ptosis and enophthalmos), caused by the involvement of the cervicobrachial nerve plexus, the cervicothoracic section of the sympathetic trunk and large vessels in the process.

Bronchioloalveolar cancer (pulmonary adenomatosis) is observed in approximately 5% of all patients operated on for lung cancer. Many questions related to the nature of this disease are unknown. The histological picture and clinical and radiological manifestations of this disease have been well studied. It is generally accepted that bronchioloalveolar cancer arises from the epithelium of the alveoli or bronchioles. The histological picture is characterized by the formation of papillomatous structures that spread inside the lumen of the bronchial tree to more or less extensive areas of the lung without destruction of the interalveolar and interlobular septa. The tumor has a slow growth rate: the average time to double its volume is 350-500 days. In some cases, the tumor does not show growth dynamics for several years.

There are no clinical manifestations of bronchioloalveolar cancer in the early stages of development. As the process progresses, cough with sputum, shortness of breath, fever, and weakness appear. The most characteristic, although rare, sign of bronchioloalveolar cancer is the production of large amounts of foamy, mucous-watery sputum.

heterogeneous triangular shadow in the upper lobe of the right lung. the interlobar pleura is involved in the process. there is an increase in the pulmonary pattern.

Name:

Sent:

Plotnitskaya E.V.
30 gr. 3rd year LF
Restricted shading syndrome.
The shadow is uniform. This is infiltration without decay.
Consequently, focal right-sided pneumonia.

Name:

Sent:

Buzhan Daria LF 30 group
A plain chest radiograph shows limited shading in the area of ​​the upper lobe of the right lung with unclear contours, but a homogeneous structure. This picture is typical for focal pneumonia.

Name:

Sent:

The diagnosis is made based on

– Complaints: cough with difficult to clear
sputum that occurs in the morning, general weakness, increased sweating at night,
inspiratory dyspnea that occurs when walking

– History – registered with the PTD since 2004
year

– Laboratory data – MBT sputum analysis
(++)

– X-ray data – focus
opacities in the upper lobe of the left lung

Treatment plan

1) Mode – ward

2) Diet – high protein

3) Isoniazid 0.6 IM

4) Rifampicin 0.45 IM

5) Pyrazinamide 2 tablets x 2 times a day

6) Ethambutol 1 tablet x 2 times a day

7) Glucose 5% 400 ml IV drip

8) Karsil 1 tablet x 3 times a day

9) Aevit 1 tablet x 3 times a day

10) Vitamins B1, B6 intramuscularly every other day

Forecast

Permanent disability, group II

Epicrisis

Patient Novozhilov G.O. was admitted to PTD No.
12 10/15/07 with a diagnosis of infiltrative tuberculosis of the upper lobe of the left lung,
MBT (+) Upon admission, he complained of a cough with difficult to separate sputum, general
weakness, increased sweating at night, inspiratory shortness of breath. Consists of
registration in the PTD since 2004 regarding newly diagnosed left tuberculosis
lung Upon objective examination
inspiratory shortness of breath and percussion box sound in the upper sections were detected
lungs, liver enlargement When performing radiography
of the chest organs, a focus of darkening was detected in the upper lobe of the left lung
A general blood test showed leukocytes 12 thousand/l, ESR 25 mm/h.
General urine test and biochemical blood test without changes Sputum analysis - MBT (++) Culture
sputum for sensitivity to antibiotics - MBT are sensitive to rifampicin,
ethambutol, pyrazinamide, isoniazid. In the hospital
treatment was carried out - ward regimen, diet
high-protein, isoniazid 0.6 IM, rifampicin 0.45 IM, pyrazinamide 2 tablets x 2
times a day, ethambutol 1 tablet x 2 times a day, glucose 5% 400 ml IV drip,
Karsil 1 tablet x 3 times a day, Aevit 1 tablet x 3 times a day, vitamins B1, B6
IM every other day. During treatment in
positive dynamics are noted in the hospital - the condition has improved,
complaints decreased, examination data returned to normal. Recommendations - follow
rational daily and nutritional regimen, continue treatment

The danger of tuberculosis

Today, medicine for the timely diagnosis and prevention of pulmonary diseases requires citizens to undergo an annual fluorographic or x-ray examination. Interpretation of X-rays of the lungs allows you to strictly monitor the condition of the lungs of the subjects and detect possible pathologies in time. In particular tuberculosis. Despite the fact that medicine is developing rapidly and very successfully, tuberculosis still leads the list of common pathologies of the respiratory system. Koch's bacillus, capable of infecting any organ, with enviable consistency chooses the lungs. Weakened immunity contributes to the active proliferation of tuberculosis bacteria, which is easily determined by x-ray examination. It will absolutely reveal dark spots on the lungs, which indicate the occurrence of a pathological process. The larger the percentage of the surface of the lungs that is infected, the larger the spots. Their presence indicates the severity of the condition, being a sign of destruction of lung tissue.

Clinical picture

Spots on the lungs can be multiple (with disseminated tuberculosis) and single (with infiltrative tuberculosis). This infection is a chronic, sluggish disease, the causative agent of which is the already mentioned Koch bacillus. It is transmitted mainly by airborne droplets, and the presence of an infected person is not at all necessary: ​​it is often enough to use poorly washed cutlery or a towel, or simply stand not far from the place where the patient has just passed. For bacteria to multiply, certain conditions are necessary: ​​reduced immunity, weakened body, frequent stress. Also, Koch's wand feels great in an organism affected by a chronic disease or in a state of pregnancy.

Detection of tuberculosis

The entry of an infection into the body does not guarantee the rapid manifestation of symptoms - a person may feel well for a long time, not suspecting that a destructive process is in full swing in the body. It often happens that a person learns about the disease only during a routine examination, which includes mandatory fluorography. The picture shows spots on the lungs, and only specialists can decipher it: they know that the light areas of the picture are “darkenings”, and the dark ones are “clearances”. These are the characteristics of negativity.

Treatment of tuberculosis

Spots on the lungs, indicating the presence of tuberculosis, are not a death sentence today. The disease is successfully treated, although the process is long and difficult. Its essence is to destroy the pathogen - the same Koch bacillus that has chosen the lung tissue - with the help of antibacterial drugs. Although medicine is now at the stage of active development, there are still no other methods of treating tuberculosis. Only the medication regimen and the medications themselves may differ, depending on the type and stage of the disease. Take care of yourself!

• consequences of smoking;
• post-traumatic lesions;
• bronchitis types of diseases;
• the presence of abscesses.

Types of shading

• focal;
• focal;
• segmental;
• indefinite shape;
• shared;
• with the presence of liquid.

Focal darkening in the lungs

Ring shadow syndrome

• abscess;
• air cyst;
• disintegrating tumor.

Circular focal shades

• endobronchial tumors;

• pneumonia;
• central cancer;

• the presence of bronchial obstruction.

• staphylococcal pneumonia;
• pleural moorings.

• homogeneous;
• total;
• intense.

Tuberculosis

Pneumonia

Lung cancer

Pleurisy

Nicotine addiction

With paragonimiasis

For candidiasis

For diffuse pneumosclerosis

For fever

Sometimes, to take care of health, there is not enough time, responsibility, desire, and finally, awareness of the importance of this task. That is why in medical institutions, both public and private, there is a requirement to undergo a number of mandatory examinations, regardless of the reason for the visit. One of these procedures is annual fluorography. Doctors recommend undergoing a lung x-ray or x-ray to detect diseases such as lung cancer or tuberculosis. Early detection of these and other diseases improves the effectiveness of treatment and increases the likelihood of a positive outcome.

There are cases when darkening is recorded in the final picture of the lungs, which causes feelings close to panic in patients. Let's figure out what darkening on the lungs looks like on an X-ray, where it comes from, what it could be and what the reason for its formation is. There are quite a few factors contributing to the appearance of black and white spots in photographs. But before moving on to considering the causes of darkening and analyzing them, you must first find out what a standard x-ray looks like.

What does a classic x-ray look like?

The classic photograph is a reverse (negative) image. The difference between a negative and a positive radiograph is that there is an inverse shadow correspondence. That is, the light parts in the picture show organs with maximum density, which retain and absorb X-rays, and the darker areas, respectively, show less dense tissues and voids that allow radiation to pass through unhindered.

Healthy lungs in the picture look like this: the right one is short and wide, the left one is long and narrow, which corresponds to the norm. These areas should be transparent, as they contain a large volume of air and practically do not interfere with the passage of X-rays.

Reasons for the appearance of spots in the photo

There can be many reasons for the appearance of spots. Only a qualified radiologist can give a complete transcript. Nevertheless, we can identify the main reasons why darkening occurs in a fluorography image:

• foci of active tuberculosis and post-tuberculosis changes;
• the occurrence of a benign or malignant tumor;
• consequences of smoking;
• post-traumatic lesions;
• accumulation of intrapleural fluid;
• bronchitis types of diseases;
• the presence of abscesses.

The location of the spot plays a big role. Depending on its location - on the right or left lung, in the lower or upper part - the value of this darkening may also change. To find out the true cause of the shadow in the picture, you need to consult a specialized specialist.

Types of shading

The spots in the lungs in the fluorography image are noticeably different from each other in appearance. It may be a dark or white spot. There are such deviations as enlarged (with acute bronchitis, pneumonia) or stringy roots (which indicate chronic bronchitis, smoking), as well as bilateral linear shadows (with tuberculous infiltrate and cavity). It may not even be a spot, but just a white dot. In medicine, it is customary to classify darkening into several main types:

• focal;
• focal;
• segmental;
• indefinite shape;
• shared;
• with the presence of liquid.

Based on the type of darkening, the doctor will be able to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe a course of treatment.

Focal darkening in the lungs

Shadows of this type arise due to inflammatory, tumor, scar processes that affect the respiratory organs, or due to vascular pathology. Despite the fact that the size of such darkening does not exceed one and a half centimeters, they can cause serious illnesses. They look like a small clear shadow on a fluorography image, the so-called nodule spot. The cause of their occurrence is often impossible to determine, as is the nature; in such cases, additional examinations are necessary. Focal, or focal-like, darkening varies in size, location, intensity, and can be single, multiple, scattered and disseminated. If focal darkening is found along with symptoms such as fever, headache, cough, or a feeling of heaviness in the chest, this may be the first sign of bronchopneumonia.

Ring shadow syndrome

A darkening in the form of a ring-shaped shadow on an x-ray is a sign of a decay cavity. It may indicate several pathologies. The main and most common means that there was contact with a person with tuberculosis, but the body was able to enclose the tuberculosis bacillus in a calcium shell and prevent it from developing, that is, calcification was formed. The reasons for such a shadow can also be:

• abscess;
• air cyst;
• disintegrating tumor.

To make an accurate diagnosis, you will need to undergo further examination.

Circular focal shades

Focal, or circular, eclipses often exceed the size of one centimeter and are also one of the signs of the onset of the disease. Focal shadows require careful investigation, as they can be signs of dangerous conditions such as:

The causes of the appearance of focal or spherical shadows can be cysts (congenital or acquired). They may even indicate the appearance of the following types of tumor processes:

• sarcoma and metastases are malignant;
• hamartochondroma, adenoma and fibroma are benign.

Segmental and lobar darkening

The darkening present in the fluorography image can be localized in the form of single segments with very different contours. Often segmental darkening has the shape of a triangle. There may be more than one area with similar shadows. In order to determine the exact cause of their occurrence, you will need to undergo a full examination. The presence of single segments may indicate:

• endobronchial tumors;
• presence of a foreign body or mechanical damage.

But the appearance of a group of segments is much more dangerous and may indicate:

• pneumonia;
• the presence of tuberculosis or other inflammations;
• central cancer;
• metastases of malignant tumors in other organs.

Lobar darkening, although similar to segmental darkening, still has differences. The contours of the shadow are clearly visible and easily defined. They can have different shapes. The presence of such spots means:

• chronic lung disease;
• the presence of bronchial obstruction.

If the lower or middle part of the lung is darkened, this indicates the presence of a malignant or benign tumor.

Shading of an indeterminate shape

If the image reveals a spot on the lungs of an indeterminate shape, in most cases this indicates the presence of staphylococcal pneumonia. This disease has several forms:

• primary - may occur due to an inflammatory process in the tissues of the lung or bronchi;
• secondary - may manifest itself due to the development of a purulent focus in the body.

Nowadays this disease is quite common. In addition to pneumonia, this type of darkening indicates tissue swelling, the presence of a tumor, hemorrhage and other pathologies. The exact source of the stain can be determined after the necessary laboratory tests.

If the appearance of this kind of spots is accompanied by the presence of metastases, fever, weakness and cough, this may mean a cancerous tumor, inflammation of the lung or the presence of pleurisy.

Darkening with liquid

If fluid is visible on fluorography, this indicates swelling of the organ. This condition occurs due to increased pulmonary capillary pressure or decreased protein levels in the body. Edema is divided into two types, it is divided according to the causes of its occurrence:

• hydrostatic edema. Its cause is increased intravascular pressure, as a result of which fluid enters the alveoli and fills the lung. The cause of such edema may be diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• membranous edema. It occurs due to the accumulation of toxins in the body, as a result of which fluid also enters the lung.

In order to determine the cause of the spot, an X-ray in additional projections, a computed tomography scan, and interpretation of the resulting sections by a professional are required.

Total blackout syndrome

By total darkening we mean darkening of the entire lung field on an x-ray. The darkening can be one-sided or two-sided.

Double-sided dimming most often indicates:

• toxic or cardiac pulmonary edema;
• staphylococcal pneumonia;
• pleural moorings.

One-sided darkening is also divided into several subtypes:

• homogeneous;
• total;
• intense.

Homogeneous darkening may indicate atelectasis of the lung or complete absence of the organ (for example, with a congenital disease). Total shadows are observed with inflammatory infiltration or pleural scarring. The presence of intense darkening indicates encysted pleurisy or an extensive pulmonary cyst.

In general, total darkening indicates serious health problems, so taking a second X-ray and consulting an independent doctor is the best decision.

What dark spots look like on an x-ray in various diseases

X-ray allows you to visually study the condition of the lung tissue, based on the presence or absence of shadows, the correspondence of their shape and concentration to the normal picture, which may mean the presence or exclusion of pathological processes. If the darkening is accompanied by characteristic symptoms, then additional blood tests may not be needed.

Tuberculosis

If a linear darkening of the lung in the upper part is detected on fluorography, the conclusion is disappointing - it is most likely tuberculosis. But if there is no cough, an accurate diagnosis can only be made with a complete examination of the patient. There is no point in delaying this, since detecting tuberculosis in the early stages is the key to a quick and successful recovery.

Pneumonia

If fluorography shows dark areas in the lower part of the lung, this is most likely pneumonia. You can see the symptoms of the disease more clearly in the photograph taken at the culmination point of its course. On film, such specific spots look fuzzy and have a very heterogeneous structure.

The presence of such shadows in a healthy person indicates that he has had pneumonia or bronchitis. With complete recovery, these spots will disappear completely.

Lung cancer

One of the most terrible diagnoses remains, of course, cancer. A characteristic spot in the lungs, visible on an x-ray, may indicate the development of this disease. It is worth noting that as long as the size of the formations is less than 2 mm, it is difficult to make a medical conclusion using fluorography, but when they reach 3 mm, it becomes possible to establish a diagnosis; for this, the image is taken in two different projections: frontal and lateral.

The presence of cancer is indicated by the presence of a shadow with a blurring outline. A large white spot stands out against its background, which indicates the disintegration of the tumor.

To make a final diagnosis, just an image will not be enough; you will need to undergo a full range of examinations prescribed by specialists.

Pleurisy

During their work, doctors have to deal with various common symptoms, such as cough, fever or, for example, weakness in the body. Patients, as a rule, do not attach much importance to them, but these ordinary signs may be indicators of fluid accumulation in the pleural cavity. In photographs this phenomenon is not expressed by any rigid geometric contours. Darkening of an unclear form represents pathological changes in the tissues of the lungs and may turn out to be nothing more than staphylococcal pneumonia.

According to medical statistics, staphylococcal pneumonia is becoming more common. The darkening itself in the image indicates tissue edema, internal hemorrhage, pulmonary infarction, tumor and the very appearance of pleural fluid, as well as other diseases that can be detected through laboratory tests.

Nicotine addiction

Many patients who seek help from doctors suffer from nicotine addiction, and today this is not uncommon. If the x-ray shows darkening, smoking may be the cause. This is due to the fact that cavities form in the bronchi, and the biggest difficulty is that at first glance it is difficult to determine the structural boundaries of the roots of the lungs. They are usually too blurry. This is explained by the fact that the pulmonary vessels begin to enlarge due to respiratory failure, which is why blurring is observed on the contours of the roots. But despite this, an X-ray of a smoker has a chance to reveal various diseases of the respiratory system, including tuberculosis and lung cancer.

With paragonimiasis

In the initial stages, paraganimosis occurs as an acute allergic disease. During this period, it is difficult to make a diagnosis, since there are practically no symptoms. Later, specific symptoms appear, such as cough and chest pain.

Fluorography shows characteristic foci with radial shadows.

For candidiasis

A spot on the picture may indicate the presence of candidiasis. In some cases, miliary opacities occur.

The symptoms of the disease are similar to bronchitis. A complication of the disease can be pleurisy.

For diffuse pneumosclerosis

If the image shows increased transparency of the lung tissue, this may indicate the presence of diffuse pneumosclerosis. It is often combined with focal eclipses.

Symptoms of the disease are cough with sputum, shortness of breath and general weakness.

For fever

If the darkening on fluorography has a large focus and uneven edges, these are symptoms of fever. Often it has pronounced symptoms, so a picture with such signs is already an additional confirmation of the disease.

Excessive sweating, chest pain and shortness of breath are the first signs of this condition.

Presence of a foreign body in the lungs

It happens that a spot on an x-ray in the lungs indicates the presence of a foreign body. Most often, this affects children, who tend to taste everything and, through negligence, can swallow an object. To the chagrin of doctors, such foreign bodies cannot always be detected using x-rays, so in such cases it is recommended to resort to endoscopic diagnostic methods. One of the main signs of foreign elements in the lungs is the presence of light spots. It is also important that it is not possible to make a diagnosis based on a fluorogram of the lungs alone; in such situations, this issue must be dealt with by a highly qualified radiologist.

What to do if spots are detected on an x-ray

The most correct decision in this situation would be not to panic. There is no need to treat spots detected during fluorography of the lungs until a full examination has been completed. As has already become clear, there can be many reasons for their appearance, so you cannot make a diagnosis yourself without consulting a specialized doctor.

If abnormalities in the pulmonary pattern are detected, you should contact a specialist: a pulmonologist or a phthisiatrician. To clarify the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes:

• General and biochemical analysis of blood and urine;
• X-ray in the necessary projections;
• Diaskintest or sputum culture to detect the presence of tuberculosis pathogens;
• computed tomography of the lungs;
• bronchoscopy of the lungs or tracheobronchoscopy, when the respiratory organs are examined using a probe that is inserted through the nose.

There is no point in postponing treatment, especially if darkening is detected on the child’s lungs. A timely, accurate diagnosis will help quickly defeat the disease.

Quite often, to provide the most informative and accurate state of the respiratory organs, doctors prescribe such a common study as an x-ray. This procedure is often indicated in order to clarify the result of previously performed fluorography or based on the general clinical picture of the patient’s condition. For example, with certain lung diseases, the density of some lung tissues becomes increased. In the resulting images, each of which shows the condition of the lungs, similar phenomena are noted in the form of spots and darkening in the lungs on the X-ray.

If the patient is informed about the discovery of spots, the first reaction of most is fear, many think that this is a malignant formation. Cancer gives some darkening, but is far from the only reason for the appearance of spots. In order to avoid wasting unnecessary nerves, and also to begin to act as quickly as possible when blackouts are detected, it is worth studying their types, as well as becoming familiar with the main reasons for their occurrence.

Causes of spots on the received images

The main reasons for the appearance of spots or darkening in an x-ray photo can be the following causes of darkening in the lungs:

If such darkening is detected, doctors usually prescribe additional forms of examination. This is based precisely on a large number of reasons that can lead to their formation. Competent treatment is prescribed only after the nature of the formations and the causes of darkening in the lungs have been fully established. Normal symptoms and health status are taken into account.

When diagnosed with pneumonia, an x-ray is the only option to identify a serious illness.

What spots might there be in the picture?

In the process of conducting an additional medical examination and carefully studying the resulting images, the specialist evaluates the darkening according to the following parameters:

• The location of the spot is the upper, lower or middle part of the lung. It can also be the outer, inner and middle lobe of this organ. This way you can get a clear picture of the disease;
• The size makes it possible to determine the total area of ​​pathology;
• Level of expression. Based on this feature, the degree of density of the lesion present can be determined. The severity can be moderate, weak and intense;
• General outline. Pay attention to whether the stain has smooth or uneven edges. Often on this basis it is possible to determine the nature of education.

In addition to the differences listed above, spots in the image can be classified according to other criteria. Doctors must take them into account in order to establish a more accurate diagnosis.

Spots and dark spots that occur in the lungs and trachea can be characterized by their location, but also by appearance and general shape. The distribution is as follows:

1. Share. The spot has a clear outline and can be particularly concave or significantly convex. Darkening can develop against the background of inflammation, cirrhosis or destruction. If a spot of this type is located in the middle or lower part of the lung, the doctor may suspect a malignant formation.
2. Focal. These are relatively small centimeter-sized formations that can prove the presence of inflammation, the development of pathology of veins and blood vessels, as well as the development of peripheral cancer, dangerous tuberculosis and sudden pulmonary infarction. If such lesions were found against the background of headache, cough and pain, bronchial pneumonia can be judged.
3. Indefinite in form. These are special spots that do not have a bright expression or outline. To give the patient the most accurate diagnosis, more modern types of examination, such as CT or MRI, are prescribed. Such white spots often indicate pathologies such as pleurisy, pneumonia, hemorrhage, as well as various types of tumors. The diagnosis is confirmed not only by CT scan, but also by laboratory tests.
4. Liquid. This is direct evidence of pulmonary edema. The fluid collected in the lungs may be due to increased pressure in numerous vessels and the degree of permeability of their alveolar wall. In this case, the liquid immediately enters the lung tissue, disrupting its functionality.
5. Segmental. We are talking about darkening in the form of a triangle. This is evidence of pathologies such as a cancerous tumor, various benign formations, pneumonia, the presence of metastases coming from other organs, tuberculosis and fluid accumulation. The doctor’s competence is very important here, since the earlier measures are taken, the greater the chance the patient will have if a fatal pathology is detected.
6. Focus. As a rule, these are single spots, the size of which is on average 1 cm. Such lesions arise against the background of pneumonia, with increased fluid content in the organs, breathing, tuberculosis, and they can also be cysts and purulent abscesses.

Making an accurate diagnosis based on the type and location of spots alone is impossible. It is for this reason that additional high-quality examination is required.

If darkening is visible in the picture, you should immediately consult a doctor who can identify or exclude the presence of a dangerous disease.

Decoding of received images

A few minutes after the fluorography examination, a person receives a picture and its detailed transcript. Comments on the image may contain the following information in the form of medical terms, each of which characterizes certain health problems:

• Enlargement of the roots of the right or left lung, which may indicate bronchitis or pneumonia; Heavy roots are special pathological changes that occur due to smoking or acute bronchitis;
• The presence of an in-depth pattern of the vessels of the right or left lung indicates a violation of blood circulation in the respiratory organs, various problems with blood vessels and the heart, bronchitis, as well as inflammation in the lungs, which may be the initial stage of the oncological process;
• Fibrosis and fibrous tissue are a consequence of previous surgical interventions and injuries;
• Focal shadows, which are specific shadows. If such shadows are accompanied by an increase in the general vascular pattern, the doctor can judge pneumonia;
• Calcifications of the right or left lung - means that the person had contact with a patient with tuberculosis. At the same time, the healthy body of an uninfected person encloses the rod in a calcium shell. It is the power of immunity that prevents the spread of infection;
• Changes in the diaphragm - all this can be the consequences of problems such as obesity, pleurisy, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Spots and dark spots found in the image can be evidence of several dozen different diseases; it is for this reason that after the x-ray it is necessary to continue a high-quality medical examination of the right or left lung.

Follow-up examination

To conduct further examination, the doctor may send the patient to a pulmonologist or oncologist, where he will be shown to undergo certain specific procedures. Here are the most common ones:

1. This may be a diaskintest, which can determine the presence of tuberculosis. If we compare this procedure with Mantoux, which quite often gives a false and inaccurate result, such an examination does not respond to BCG, which often shows a complete absence of a problem in the child. This is an ideal opportunity to diagnose tuberculosis as accurately as possible.
2. The study of sputum of children and adults is another mandatory analysis that is carried out in the laboratory. Based on the results obtained, it is possible to detect tubercle bacilli, the presence of malignant cells, as well as various impurities that may be characteristic of certain pathological conditions.
3. Quite often, doctors prescribe a more modern examination method - computed tomography of the lungs. This is an additional, informative method for diagnosing diseases of the lung tissue, pleura and mediastinum. It turned out that this is the most reliable method.
4. Lung bronchoscopy or tracheobronchoscopy may also be used. This procedure is performed using medical endoscopes that are quite flexible in design and are inserted through the nose. Through this form of examination, you can see the lungs and also take material, completely painlessly. The collected material, as a rule, is subjected to subsequent diagnostics - bacterial, histological and cytological.

If a doctor suspects lung cancer based on an x-ray, a tumor marker test may be prescribed. The analysis makes it possible to detect specific proteins that are usually produced by emerging malignant tumors.

Summing up

If darkening or light spots are found in the picture, do not panic when you see the picture. The best solution in this case would be to strictly follow the doctor’s recommendations. The specialist will conduct a more detailed additional examination to clarify the diagnosis. This is the only way to develop the highest quality treatment, take timely measures and thereby prevent quite serious complications.

If an x-ray shows a shadow in the lungs, this may indicate a dangerous pathology or physiological condition. Remember that a radiograph is a summation of the thickness of anatomical structures.

X-ray darkening syndrome in the lungs appears on the image as a white spot of various sizes (focal, segmental, subtotal, total). Many anatomical structures and pathological changes are involved in its formation.

If an x-ray shows darkening in the lungs, what does this mean? Let's take a closer look in the article.

What causes “darkening” in the lungs in the picture?

Depending on the location, the white spot can be:

• pulmonary;
• extrapulmonary.

Darkness in the lungs occurs due to:

• tissue compaction during the inflammatory process;
• tumor growth;
• localized abscesses or cysts;
• collapse of lung tissue with atelectasis;
• tuberculosis.

Extrapulmonary causes of darkening on a chest x-ray:

• fluid in the pleural cavity;
• exudative and encysted inflammation of the pleura;
• pathological formations in the spine and ribs;
• mediastinal tumors;
• aortic aneurysm;
• swollen lymph nodes;
• diseases of the esophagus and intestines (hernias);
• pathology of the diaphragm;
• lipoma in the costophrenic sinus.

X-ray. Round formation in the projection of the right root (enlarged lymph node)

The main causes of dark spots in the lung on an x-ray

Describing the causes of spots in the pulmonary parenchyma, it is convenient to classify all formations into: limited and widespread.

Radiologists consider a limited darkening to be a shadow that does not exceed 1.5 cm in diameter. In shape, these formations can be round, oval, lumpy or irregular in structure. With encysted pleurisy, the white spot has a triangular shape. Similar shadows can be seen in atelectasis.

Causes of extensive darkening:

• exudative pleurisy;
• pneumonia;
• miliary tuberculosis;
• pulmonary edema.

White spots in the image are also caused by artifacts (foreign bodies).

To make a correct diagnosis when detecting opacification syndrome, a radiologist must have knowledge of nosological forms of diseases and have practical experience in interpreting chest x-rays. Young specialists are afraid to perform radiography in a lateral projection, since in these images the image is formed by summing up many anatomical formations, which significantly complicates the detection of diseases.

Sometimes darkening in the pulmonary parenchyma is a consequence of pneumonia and persists in a person for years. Such patients are classified as X-ray positive, which is indicated accordingly in the X-ray diagnostic passport.

X-ray of the lungs showed a dark spot - what is it?

If there is a dark spot on the x-ray, increased airiness of the lung tissue should be suspected. The syndrome can be limited or widespread. The shape is: round, oval, triangular.

Segmental darkening on a radiograph with a path to the root (peripheral cancer)

A round dark spot is observed on an image of the lungs with an hydatid cyst. True, around the formation there is a clear white outline formed by the wall of the cyst.

Emphysema (increased airiness of the alveoli) is manifested by total clearing on both sides. With a local emphysematous bulla, the dark spot is limited to several ribs or a segment.

X-ray diagnosis of this syndrome is not difficult for radiologists who have seen many images of the chest organs during their practical work.

How dangerous is darkening or clearing in the lungs?

Darkening and clearing in the pulmonary parenchyma - is it dangerous? To answer this question, the doctor should analyze a set of laboratory and instrumental methods and examine the person. Only after this can he say whether enlightenment or darkening is really dangerous.

X-ray diagnostics is an auxiliary diagnostic method. It is designed to supplement information about the condition of patients’ organs and tissues. If you pay attention to the protocol for describing the radiograph, the end point there is the “conclusion” of the radiologist, but not the “diagnosis”. This approach is adopted in medicine due to the fact that X-ray radiation “passes” through many anatomical structures, some of which are not displayed on film.

It is easy to differentiate total darkening after obtaining the results of other diagnostic methods. Because of this, the sanitary rules state that x-ray examinations are carried out only after all other types of diagnostic tests have been carried out. The approach allows not only to reliably verify the conclusion, but also to select the optimal projections to obtain maximum information from the images.

X-ray images of various types of dark spots in the lungs

The term “darkening in the lungs” is used when identifying any pulmonary pathology. Every adult knows what fluorography is. This screening study allows you to identify pathology in the lungs, mediastinum and chest wall. Regular preventive examinations, including this examination, allow you to identify diseases in the early stages. Currently, according to WHO recommendations, ordinary people need to undergo fluorography once every two years. It is recommended that kindergarten workers, teachers, doctors and food industry workers do this study once a year.

What does darkening mean and how is it detected?

The pathology of the chest organs detected during fluorography is formulated by doctors as “darkening in the lungs.” Moreover, this formulation hides any reason that is not necessarily of a malignant nature. A large number of diseases can manifest as a shadow in the lung, ranging from banal pulmonary fibrosis to cancer. To exclude false data when pathological changes are detected, it is recommended to perform an X-ray examination of the chest organs.

However, it is not fundamental when making a diagnosis. But it allows you to eliminate errors in the interpretation of fluorographic data, excluding the presence of various artifacts, defects in the film itself and the examination technique.

The most detailed examination of the chest organs is computed tomography. It allows you to make a diagnosis with a high degree of probability and decide on further treatment tactics.

It is worth knowing that any lung disease is manifested by a change in the lung tissue, characterized by its compaction and subsequently a violation of airiness. It is these areas that form the pathological focus. In some cases, these changes may mask more serious pathology and cause poor outcomes. Moreover, the radiological term “darkening” is actually manifested by the appearance of light areas on the radiograph.

In radiology, the spot is called a shadow. A spot-like shadow less than 1 centimeter in diameter is a focal shadow. A focal shadow is a lesion whose size ranges from 0.1 cm to 1.0 cm. These pathological lesions are characteristic of various nosological forms. By origin, these lesions can be of inflammatory and tumor origin, and are also caused by hemorrhage, edema, and atelectasis. X-ray experience proves that lesions in the lungs occur in inflammatory diseases that pathologically change the structure of the pulmonary parenchyma. In our country, foci are also characteristic of tuberculosis (focal tuberculosis). In practice, it often occurs when there are 2-3 lesions in one lung, then radiologists talk about a group of lesions in the lung. Inexperienced and young specialists mistake the cross-section of a vessel, the shadow of the nipples of the mammary gland, as well as calcium deposits in the cartilage of the ribs as focal shadows.

A focal shadow has the following characteristics:

1) Localization of focal shadow.
2) Prevalence of focal shadow.
3) Contours of focal shadow.
4) Intensity of focal shadow.

This patient has a lesion in the middle lobe of the right lung with a decay cavity in the center (indicated by an arrow). According to the clinic, the patient was diagnosed with tuberculosis.

White spot on x-ray of lungs/white spot on x-ray of lungs/white spots on lungs/two spots on lungs/lung disease spot on lung

For each disease there is a characteristic localization of the outbreak. Tuberculosis (focal tuberculosis and tuberculoma) is characterized by localization in the apices of the lungs and under the collarbone. With pneumonia, the localization can be any, but inflammatory lung diseases are characterized by a group of foci (2-3 foci). For peripheral lung cancer or tumor metastasis, a characteristic sign on the radiograph is a single lesion without signs of calcification.

The contours of the lesion can be sharp or blurred. Blurred contours more often indicate an inflammatory cause of the origin of the lesion. If on the radiograph we encounter a single lesion with sharp contours, which is not located in the apex and subclavian region, then the radiologist suspects peripheral cancer. A single focus with sharp contours located at the apex or under the collarbone suggests tuberculosis (focal tuberculosis or tuberculoma).

The following structure of the focus is distinguished - homogeneous or heterogeneous. If we consider the example of pulmonary tuberculosis, then, using these properties, we can tell the phase of the disease, which is taken into account when choosing chemotherapy. A homogeneous focal shadow is characteristic of tuberculosis in the consolidation phase, and a heterogeneous shadow is characteristic of tuberculoma.

This patient showed changes in the roots of the lung, which corresponds to tuberculosis of the intrathoracic lymph nodes in a patient with prolonged fever and cough.

Small spot on the lung/small spot on the lung/spots in the lungs on x-ray/

When talking about the intensity of a focal shadow, radiologists often compare the intensity with nearby anatomical structures, for example, with the blood vessels of the lungs.

The following intensity of the focus is distinguished:

1) low-intensity shadow - if the focus is visualized with intensity, like a longitudinal section of a vessel.
2) medium-intensity shadow - if the focus is visualized with intensity, like a vessel in an axial section.
3) dense focus (high-intensity shadow) - if the focus is visualized with an intensity higher than the intensity of the lung vessel in the axial section.

With a low-intensity shadow on the radiograph, depending on the clinic, it is possible to suspect focal pneumonia or tuberculosis in the infiltration phase (focal tuberculosis). A medium-intensity shadow indicates the attenuation of the tuberculosis process, which is most often observed with adequate treatment.

Also, radiologists separately identify a Ghon lesion or a decayed calcified lesion in the lung, which, together with a calcified lymph node, suggests a primary tuberculosis complex.

Each lesion (spot), if you look closely, is unique, and only an experienced radiologist is able to compare the clinical picture with the picture on the x-ray. To avoid unnecessary diagnostic errors, radiography is done in two projections, and is also performed after a certain time to assess the dynamics of the lesion. Let’s say that if a 70-year-old patient who has been smoking all his life has a single lesion in the lung, then it is more correct to regard this formation as lung cancer.

A 76-year-old patient was diagnosed with a shadow in the right lung. Initially, peripheral lung cancer was suspected, but the diagnosis for this patient was hamartoma of the right lung.

Round spot on the lung/pneumonia of the lungs on the right side spots on the lungs/spots on the lungs causes

The round spot on the radiograph corresponds to radiographic round shadow syndrome. Round shadow syndrome is said to occur when the following shadows are visualized on an x-ray:

1) Single shadows of a round shape.
2) Single shadows of a semicircular shape.
3) Single oval-shaped shadows.
4) Multiple round shadows.
5) Multiple semicircular shadows.
6) Multiple oval-shaped shadows.

Another important criterion for telling when a round shadow is visible on an x-ray is size. The size of a round shadow should be more than 1 centimeter since smaller shadows are focal points.

A round shadow, like a lesion, is caused by various pathological causes in the lung, for example:

1) Inflammatory process.
2) Tumor process.

Also, a round shadow is visualized when there are cavities in the lung with fluid. There are also reasons not related to lung pathology, but in which a round shadow is visualized - this is pleural pathology. These include pleurisy (inflammation of the pleura), pleural tumor, and cyst.

The patient has a cyst filled with fluid.

Spots on the right lung/spot on the left lung/spot on the lungs during fluorography

In order to guess what disease the round shadow belongs to, the radiologist initially answers the following questions:

1) What shape is the shadow?
2) Is there a relationship with surrounding organs?
3) What are the contours of the shadow?
4) What is the structure of the shadow?

The shape of the rounded shadow delineates the process into a pathological process that is inside and outside the lung. Intrapulmonary pathology is characterized by a round, but also an oval-shaped shadow. An oval-shaped shadow occurs with lung cysts that are filled with fluid. Also, an oval-shaped shadow is a characteristic picture when the cyst has increased in size to such a size that it comes into contact with the diaphragm, pleura, mediastinum, and chest wall.

The contours of a rounded shadow allow the radiologist to establish the cause of the pathology, and therefore are an important sign in the description.

The contours are:

1) Fuzzy or also called unsharp.
2) Clear or sharp.

Fuzzy contours for inflammatory diseases are mild. It is impossible to make a specific diagnosis in this case, but the identified symptom narrows the differential range. If the contours are clear, one should assume a lung tumor, tuberculoma, or a fluid cystic formation that does not contain air inside.

The patient has a darkening in the right lung, which is characteristic of lobar pneumonia.

Spot on the lung image/x-ray of the lungs white spot/x-ray of the lungs light spot

A rounded shadow in its structure is visualized as homogeneous or heterogeneous. The shadow is uniform in tuberculoma, but against the background of the shadow, calcium must be a prerequisite. If a round formation is encountered with a cavity inside, then the first thing radiologists think about is a tumor with decay or infiltrative tuberculosis in the decay phase. Cancer is more characterized by a rounded shadow with a cavity, in which uneven internal contours and uneven wall thickness. Tuberculoma is characterized by small, crescent-shaped cavities. A cavity with liquid contents is visualized when the cyst is opened (exit of liquid contents) into the bronchus, as well as in case of a lung abscess, which is accompanied by a serious condition of the patient.

When interpreting a radiograph with a round shadow, it happens that despite taking into account all the above signs, the radiologist did not come to a conclusion. Then a prerequisite for making a diagnosis is the correct assessment of the lung tissue that is adjacent to the pathological focus. If the lung tissue surrounding the lesion with blurred contours is intact, then this is a sign of fresh inflammation (acute and subacute phase). Fibrosis of the tissue surrounding the lesion indicates a chronic inflammatory process, which is more often characteristic of tuberculosis. Chronic inflammation of tuberculous origin is characterized by a path to the pulmonary root, which is visualized as a bronchus draining the cavity with thickened walls.

This patient has left lung cancer.

Sometimes, to take care of health, there is not enough time, responsibility, desire, and finally, awareness of the importance of this task. That is why in medical institutions, both public and private, there is a requirement to undergo a number of mandatory examinations, regardless of the reason for the visit. One of these procedures is annual fluorography. Doctors recommend undergoing a lung x-ray or x-ray to detect diseases such as lung cancer or tuberculosis. Early detection of these and other diseases improves the effectiveness of treatment and increases the likelihood of a positive outcome.

There are cases when darkening is recorded in the final picture of the lungs, which causes feelings close to panic in patients. Let's figure out what darkening on the lungs looks like on an X-ray, where it comes from, what it could be and what the reason for its formation is. There are quite a few factors contributing to the appearance of black and white spots in photographs. But before moving on to considering the causes of darkening and analyzing them, you must first find out what a standard x-ray looks like.

The classic photograph is a reverse (negative) image. The difference between a negative and a positive radiograph is that there is an inverse shadow correspondence. That is, the light parts in the picture show organs with maximum density, which retain and absorb X-rays, and the darker areas, respectively, show less dense tissues and voids that allow radiation to pass through unhindered.

Healthy lungs in the picture look like this: the right one is short and wide, the left one is long and narrow, which corresponds to the norm. These areas should be transparent, as they contain a large volume of air and practically do not interfere with the passage of X-rays.

Reasons for the appearance of spots in the photo

There can be many reasons for the appearance of spots. Only a qualified radiologist can give a complete transcript. Nevertheless, we can identify the main reasons why darkening occurs in a fluorography image:

• foci of active tuberculosis and post-tuberculosis changes;
• the occurrence of a benign or malignant tumor;
• consequences of smoking;
• post-traumatic lesions;
• accumulation of intrapleural fluid;
• bronchitis types of diseases;
• the presence of abscesses.

The location of the spot plays a big role. Depending on its location - on the right or left lung, in the lower or upper part - the value of this darkening may also change. To find out the true cause of the shadow in the picture, you need to consult a specialized specialist.

Types of shading

The spots in the lungs in the fluorography image are noticeably different from each other in appearance. It may be a dark or white spot. There are such deviations as enlarged (with acute bronchitis, pneumonia) or stringy roots (which indicate chronic bronchitis, smoking), as well as bilateral linear shadows (with tuberculous infiltrate and cavity). It may not even be a spot, but just a white dot. In medicine, it is customary to classify darkening into several main types:

• focal;
• focal;
• segmental;
• indefinite shape;
• shared;
• with the presence of liquid.

Based on the type of darkening, the doctor will be able to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe a course of treatment.

Focal darkening in the lungs

Shadows of this type arise due to inflammatory, tumor, scar processes that affect the respiratory organs, or due to vascular pathology. Despite the fact that the size of such darkening does not exceed one and a half centimeters, they can cause serious illnesses. They look like a small clear shadow on a fluorography image, the so-called nodule spot. The cause of their occurrence is often impossible to determine, as is the nature; in such cases, additional examinations are necessary. Focal, or focal-like, darkening varies in size, location, intensity, and can be single, multiple, scattered and disseminated. If focal darkening is found along with symptoms such as fever, headache, cough, or a feeling of heaviness in the chest, this may be the first sign of bronchopneumonia.

Ring shadow syndrome

A darkening in the form of a ring-shaped shadow on an x-ray is a sign of a decay cavity. It may indicate several pathologies. The main and most common means that there was contact with a person with tuberculosis, but the body was able to enclose the tuberculosis bacillus in a calcium shell and prevent it from developing, that is, calcification was formed. The reasons for such a shadow can also be:

• abscess;
• air cyst;
• disintegrating tumor.

To make an accurate diagnosis, you will need to undergo further examination.

Circular focal shades

Focal, or circular, eclipses often exceed the size of one centimeter and are also one of the signs of the onset of the disease. Focal shadows require careful investigation, as they can be signs of dangerous conditions such as:

The causes of the appearance of focal or spherical shadows can be cysts (congenital or acquired). They may even indicate the appearance of the following types of tumor processes:

• sarcoma and metastases are malignant;
• hamartochondroma, adenoma and fibroma are benign.

Segmental and lobar darkening

The darkening present in the fluorography image can be localized in the form of single segments with very different contours. Often segmental darkening has the shape of a triangle. There may be more than one area with similar shadows. In order to determine the exact cause of their occurrence, you will need to undergo a full examination. The presence of single segments may indicate:

• endobronchial tumors;
• presence of a foreign body or mechanical damage.

But the appearance of a group of segments is much more dangerous and may indicate:

• pneumonia;
• the presence of tuberculosis or other inflammations;
• central cancer;
• metastases of malignant tumors in other organs.

Lobar darkening, although similar to segmental darkening, still has differences. The contours of the shadow are clearly visible and easily defined. They can have different shapes. The presence of such spots means:

• chronic lung disease;
• the presence of bronchial obstruction.

If the lower or middle part of the lung is darkened, this indicates the presence of a malignant or benign tumor.

Shading of an indeterminate shape

If the image reveals a spot on the lungs of an indeterminate shape, in most cases this indicates the presence of staphylococcal pneumonia. This disease has several forms:

• primary - may occur due to an inflammatory process in the tissues of the lung or bronchi;
• secondary - may manifest itself due to the development of a purulent focus in the body.

Nowadays this disease is quite common. In addition to pneumonia, this type of darkening indicates tissue swelling, the presence of a tumor, hemorrhage and other pathologies. The exact source of the stain can be determined after the necessary laboratory tests.

If the appearance of this kind of spots is accompanied by the presence of metastases, fever, weakness and cough, this may mean a cancerous tumor, inflammation of the lung or the presence of pleurisy.

Darkening with liquid

If fluid is visible on fluorography, this indicates swelling of the organ. This condition occurs due to increased pulmonary capillary pressure or decreased protein levels in the body. Edema is divided into two types, it is divided according to the causes of its occurrence:

• hydrostatic edema. Its cause is increased intravascular pressure, as a result of which fluid enters the alveoli and fills the lung. The cause of such edema may be diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• membranous edema. It occurs due to the accumulation of toxins in the body, as a result of which fluid also enters the lung.

In order to determine the cause of the spot, an X-ray in additional projections, a computed tomography scan, and interpretation of the resulting sections by a professional are required.

By total darkening we mean darkening of the entire lung field on an x-ray. The darkening can be one-sided or two-sided.

Double-sided dimming most often indicates:

• toxic or cardiac pulmonary edema;
• staphylococcal pneumonia;
• pleural moorings.

One-sided darkening is also divided into several subtypes:

• homogeneous;
• total;
• intense.

Homogeneous darkening may indicate atelectasis of the lung or complete absence of the organ (for example, with a congenital disease). Total shadows are observed with inflammatory infiltration or pleural scarring. The presence of intense darkening indicates encysted pleurisy or an extensive pulmonary cyst.

In general, total darkening indicates serious health problems, so taking a second X-ray and consulting an independent doctor is the best decision.

What dark spots look like on an x-ray in various diseases

X-ray allows you to visually study the condition of the lung tissue, based on the presence or absence of shadows, the correspondence of their shape and concentration to the normal picture, which may mean the presence or exclusion of pathological processes. If the darkening is accompanied by characteristic symptoms, then additional blood tests may not be needed.

Tuberculosis

If a linear darkening of the lung in the upper part is detected on fluorography, the conclusion is disappointing - it is most likely tuberculosis. But if there is no cough, an accurate diagnosis can only be made with a complete examination of the patient. There is no point in delaying this, since detecting tuberculosis in the early stages is the key to a quick and successful recovery.

Pneumonia

If fluorography shows dark areas in the lower part of the lung, this is most likely pneumonia. You can see the symptoms of the disease more clearly in the photograph taken at the culmination point of its course. On film, such specific spots look fuzzy and have a very heterogeneous structure.

The presence of such shadows in a healthy person indicates that he has had pneumonia or bronchitis. With complete recovery, these spots will disappear completely.

Lung cancer

One of the most terrible diagnoses remains, of course, cancer. A characteristic spot in the lungs, visible on an x-ray, may indicate the development of this disease. It is worth noting that as long as the size of the formations is less than 2 mm, it is difficult to make a medical conclusion using fluorography, but when they reach 3 mm, it becomes possible to establish a diagnosis; for this, the image is taken in two different projections: frontal and lateral.

The presence of cancer is indicated by the presence of a shadow with a blurring outline. A large white spot stands out against its background, which indicates the disintegration of the tumor.

To make a final diagnosis, just an image will not be enough; you will need to undergo a full range of examinations prescribed by specialists.

Pleurisy

During their work, doctors have to deal with various common symptoms, such as cough, fever or, for example, weakness in the body. Patients, as a rule, do not attach much importance to them, but these ordinary signs may be indicators of fluid accumulation in the pleural cavity. In photographs this phenomenon is not expressed by any rigid geometric contours. Darkening of an unclear form represents pathological changes in the tissues of the lungs and may turn out to be nothing more than staphylococcal pneumonia.

According to medical statistics, staphylococcal pneumonia is becoming more common. The darkening itself in the image indicates tissue edema, internal hemorrhage, pulmonary infarction, tumor and the very appearance of pleural fluid, as well as other diseases that can be detected through laboratory tests.

Nicotine addiction

Many patients who seek help from doctors suffer from nicotine addiction, and today this is not uncommon. If the x-ray shows darkening, smoking may be the cause. This is due to the fact that cavities form in the bronchi, and the biggest difficulty is that at first glance it is difficult to determine the structural boundaries of the roots of the lungs. They are usually too blurry. This is explained by the fact that the pulmonary vessels begin to enlarge due to respiratory failure, which is why blurring is observed on the contours of the roots. But despite this, an X-ray of a smoker has a chance to reveal various diseases of the respiratory system, including tuberculosis and lung cancer.

With paragonimiasis

In the initial stages, paraganimosis occurs as an acute allergic disease. During this period, it is difficult to make a diagnosis, since there are practically no symptoms. Later, specific symptoms appear, such as cough and chest pain.

Fluorography shows characteristic foci with radial shadows.

For candidiasis

A spot on the picture may indicate the presence of candidiasis. In some cases, miliary opacities occur.

The symptoms of the disease are similar to bronchitis. A complication of the disease can be pleurisy.

For diffuse pneumosclerosis

If the image shows increased transparency of the lung tissue, this may indicate the presence of diffuse pneumosclerosis. It is often combined with focal eclipses.

Symptoms of the disease are cough with sputum, shortness of breath and general weakness.

For fever

If the darkening on fluorography has a large focus and uneven edges, these are symptoms of fever. Often it has pronounced symptoms, so a picture with such signs is already an additional confirmation of the disease.

Excessive sweating, chest pain and shortness of breath are the first signs of this condition.

Presence of a foreign body in the lungs

It happens that a spot on an x-ray in the lungs indicates the presence of a foreign body. Most often, this affects children, who tend to taste everything and, through negligence, can swallow an object. To the chagrin of doctors, such foreign bodies cannot always be detected using x-rays, so in such cases it is recommended to resort to endoscopic diagnostic methods. One of the main signs of foreign elements in the lungs is the presence of light spots. It is also important that it is not possible to make a diagnosis based on a fluorogram of the lungs alone; in such situations, this issue must be dealt with by a highly qualified radiologist.

What to do if spots are detected on an x-ray

The most correct decision in this situation would be not to panic. There is no need to treat spots detected during fluorography of the lungs until a full examination has been completed. As has already become clear, there can be many reasons for their appearance, so you cannot make a diagnosis yourself without consulting a specialized doctor.

If abnormalities in the pulmonary pattern are detected, you should contact a specialist: a pulmonologist or a phthisiatrician. To clarify the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes:

• General and biochemical analysis of blood and urine;
• X-ray in the necessary projections;
• Diaskintest or sputum culture to detect the presence of tuberculosis pathogens;
• computed tomography of the lungs;
• bronchoscopy of the lungs or tracheobronchoscopy, when the respiratory organs are examined using a probe that is inserted through the nose.

There is no point in postponing treatment, especially if darkening is detected on the child’s lungs. A timely, accurate diagnosis will help quickly defeat the disease.