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Template:Estimating pneumothorax size
From WikEM
Estimating Pneumothorax Size
- On a conventional, upright posterior-anterior chest radiograph:
- Very small: <1 cm interpleural distance (confined to upper 1/3 of chest) OR only seen on CT
- Small: ≤3cm lung apex to cupola (chest wall apex) on CXR
- Large: >3cm lung apex to cupola (chest wall apex) on CXR
- 3cm apex to cupola measurement is roughly equivalent to 2cm interpleural distance (at the level of the hilum)
- Both roughly correlate with a 50% pneumothorax by volume
