CXR Case 135
41 year old lady has a routine pre-op CXR (gotta love the olden days).
Describe and interpret this CXR
CHEST X-RAY INTERPRETATION
There is an azygos lobe visible in the right upper zone.
Normal parenchyma and pleura
CLINICAL CORRELATION
An azygos lobe is a rare variant of normal anatomy, seen in approximately 1-2% of the population.
The clinical importance of an azygos lobe is that it can become consolidated with infection and mimic a lung mass.
CLINICAL PEARLS
The azygos lobe is not a true accessory lobe as it does have its own bronchus or bronchopulmonary segment.
It is formed by the right posterior cardinal vein (embryological precursor to the azygos vein) passing through the right upper lobe, rather than over the surface of the lobe.
TOP 150 CXR SERIES
Prof Fraser Brims Curtin Medical School, acute and respiratory medicine specialist, immediate care in sport doc, ex-Royal Navy, academic| Top 100 CXR | Google Scholar | ICIS Course ANZ