RADIOWQ

The position of the apex beat as determined by palpation gives a rough estimate of cardiac size, but radiological examination is indispensable for accurate determination of the size and shape of the heart. The radiological anatomy of the heart in the three standard positions is depicted in Plate V. Radiology enables not only the width but also the depth of the heart to be seen. The esophagus can be outlined by giving the patient some barium emulsion to swallow. This will help to show backward enlargement of the left atrium in mistral stenos is in the right oblique position. Films are useful for record purposes and for studying the details of abnormalities in the lung fields. Screening (radioscopy) is invaluable on account of its technical simplicity and for allowing the heart to be viewed from every angle and its abnormal pulsations observed. Not only can the size of the heart as a whole determined but also the size of individual chambers and of the great vessels. The presence or absence of alular calcification can also be determined.