If you’ve ever looked at a chest X-ray and seen a cluster of tiny, horizontal lines at the lung bases, you might have dismissed them as blood vessels or artifact. But to a trained eye, those little lines are a major red flag. They are called , and they are one of the most classic signs of an overworked heart and fluid-filled lungs.
When pressure in the pulmonary capillaries rises (e.g., due to heart failure), fluid leaks out of the vessels. Gravity pulls this fluid into the most dependent parts of the lung—the lower zones. The fluid accumulates in the interstitial space, specifically thickening those interlobular septa. kerley b
They are easiest to see on a PA (posteroanterior) view of a cooperative patient. AP (portable) views in sick patients are harder to interpret because of magnification and rotation. If you’ve ever looked at a chest X-ray
Look at the on an upright chest X-ray.