Assessment of chest X-ray images in newborns with respiratory disorders

The aim of the study was to analyze major radiological signs on chest X-ray images of neonates with respiratory disorders. The analyzed group consisted of 84 neonates; 56 were born prematurely. In total, 386 X-ray photographs of the neonates were taken; of these, 301 were chest radiographs. The following conditions were diagnosed: pneumonia (n = 44), infant respiratory distress syndrome (n = 28), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (n = 9), atelectasis (n = 5), and meconium aspiration syndrome (n = 3). The initial X-ray images of 29 neonates were normal. Reduced aeration of lung tissue was diagnosed in 55 patients, increased lung tissue aeration in 6. A pathologically widened mediastinal shadow was observed in 4 newborns; in 4 cases, evaluation was not possible. The final radiographs were normal in 41 cases. The most common radiological sign in respiratory disorders is the reduction of lung aeration. Chest X-ray examination plays a significant role in the diagnostics of respiratory disorders, which may be caused be factors unrelated to the respiratory system.