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Demographics:
1 day old, Male
Indication:
Respiratory distress (term delivery)
Findings
- Diffuse coarse interstitial opacities, more confluent in the lung bases
- Enteric tube in the stomach
Diagnosis
Meconium aspiration
Sample Report
Diffuse coarse interstitial opacities, more confluent in the lung bases which raises concern for meconium aspiration, though pneumonia can have a similar appearance.
No pleural effusions or pneumothorax.
Enteric tube in the stomach.
Discussion
- When evaluating chest radiographs in newborns with respiratory distress, try following the decision tree in the annotated image below
- Meconium aspiration is most often seen in term or post-term deliveries and is associated with fetal distress during labor
- Typical radiographic findings include large lung volumes with coarse, heterogenous bilateral opacities. There can be associated pneumothorax
Annotated Images & Illustrations
Algorithmic approach to chest radiographs in neonates with respiratory distress.