This is the answer page to Case 9 from the page titled What is the Value of the Lateral Chest Projection?

• What is the Value of the Lateral Chest Projection?

• Patterns of Consolidation

• Lung Anatomy

This 38 year old male presented to the Emergency Department with a history of headache and fever. He was referred for chest radiography

There is increased left retrocardiac density and airbronchogram lines (black arrows) There is also a suggestion of loss of visualisation of the left hemidiaphragm medially (can be normal). There is also increased density adjacent to the right heart border [white arrows]

There is loss of visualisation of both hemidiaphragms posteriorly There is loss of the normal darkening of the thoracic vertebral bodies inferiorly. The appearances are consistent with bibasal collapse/consolidation.