Costophrenic Blunting
Look For
- Loss of the normally sharp angle between the diaphragm and the chest wall laterally.
Significance
- A sign of small pleural effusion.
Isolated costophrenic blunting without other signs of pleural effusion is estimated to represent approximately 300mL of pleural fluid.
Example
- Bibasal costophrenic blunting in a patient with small bilateral pleural effusions
![Bibasal costophrenic blunting in a patient with small bilateral pleural effusions]()
Deep Sulcus Sign
Look For
- An abnormally sharp costophrenic angle with a deep, sharp sulcus on a supine chest x-ray.
Significance
- A sign of pneumothorax.
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