Left upper lobe collapse
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Left upper lobe collapse
- Trachea deviated to the left (arrow)
- Right heart border not visible - indicating mediastinal shift to the left
- Volume loss of the left hemithorax
- 'Veil-like' opacification of the left hemithorax obscuring the left heart border - characteristic of left upper lobe collapse
- Ovoid density at the left hilum - CT (next image) confirmed a large left hilar mass, which occluded the left upper lobe bronchus
- Note the left hemidiaphragm is still visible - indicating sparing of the left lower lobe
- The left lower lobe has increased in volume to compensate for the volume loss and can be seen wrapping round the medial side of the collapsed upper lobe (red line) - the 'Luftsichel' (air crescent) sign