Findings of Chest Radiographs of OPD Patients in T.U. Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Chest X-ray is the most frequently requested and perfonned diagnostic radiological examination in the Radiology Department for the identification of the problem in the thorax including main airways, lungs, mediastinum, heart, pleura and the chest wall. To enlist the common findings and the trend of findings in the chest radiographs in the context of Nepalese population, the present study was conducted.

Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional study, chest radiographs of 1274 patients from OPDS including the general OPD and GHC clinic, who had come to Radiology department of T.U. Teaching Hospital for the radiographic examination of the chest, were evaluated. The study was conducted over a period of 2 months between July and August 2013. The findings were classified under various categories and tabulated in the proforma. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software system and the results were shown in frequency, percentage, tables, bar diagrams and graphs.

Results: Among 1274 patients, 1190 (93.41%) were from general OPD and 84 (6.59%) patients were

from GHC clinic. Of these, 675 (52.98%) were males while 599 (47.02%) were females. A total of 817 (64.13%) patients had normal or negative findings while only 457 (35.87%) patients had positive findings on their radiographs. Pleural thickening or effusion was the most common finding accounting for 110 (8.63%) cases followed by pneumonitis and fibrotic changes seen in 83 (6.52%), COAD in 77 (6.04%), cardiomegaly 69 (5.42%), apparent cardiomegaly 44 (3.46%), calcification/calcified granulomas 48 (3.77%), prominent broncho-vascular markings 33 (2.59%), bronchiectasis 18 (1.42%), bony abnormality 24 (1.89%) and tuberculosis 11(0.86%). The less common findings were lymphadenopathy in 8 (0.63%) and mass lesion/opacity in 7 (0.55%) radiographs. There were findings other than the above mentioned in 30 (2.36%) radiographs.

Conclusion: Pleural thickening/effusion was the most common finding in chest radiographs of OPD patients in T.U. Teaching Hospital; followed by pneumonitis, fibrotic changes, COAD changes and cardiomegaly with the least common finding being mass/lesion and lymphadenopathy