CLINICAL RADIOSCOPIC STUDIES OF THE HEART IN CHILDREN

Abstract

The markedly enlarged heart is easily recognized by physical and roentgenographic examination. The differentiation between the normal and the moderately enlarged heart in a child presents a diagnostic problem of clinical importance. The usual roentgenologic criteria offer little assistance in determining the most important single criterion of early organic heart disease, namely, enlargement of the heart. This investigation was undertaken to evaluate certain roentgenologic criteria of cardiac size in children. In addition, an effort was made to define, if possible, criteria to detect slight or early cardiac abnormality by a roentgenologic method which would be simple, rapid, reasonably accurate and available for clinical use. <h3>METHOD</h3> Of the roentgenologic methods in general use the first is estimation of the size of the heart by mensuration of the frontal plane as projected by teleoroentgenography,¹teleoradioscopy²and orthodiagraphy.³The measurements of these cardiograms are related to certain bodily measurements; and