Cardiophrenic angle

Cardiophrenic angle is an anatomical term referring to the acute angle formed by the intersection of the cardiac silhouette and the diaphragm on a chest radiograph. It is a crucial area for radiologists to examine as it can be the site of various pathologies.

Etymology

The term "cardiophrenic" is derived from the Greek words "kardia" meaning heart and "phren" meaning diaphragm. The angle is thus named because it is formed by the heart and the diaphragm.

Anatomy

The cardiophrenic angle is located on both the left and right sides of the diaphragm. On a chest radiograph, it appears as an acute angle at the intersection of the cardiac silhouette and the diaphragm. The left cardiophrenic angle is usually sharper than the right due to the position of the heart in the chest cavity.

Clinical significance

The cardiophrenic angle is an important area to examine in chest radiographs as it can be the site of various pathologies. Abnormalities in the cardiophrenic angle can be indicative of several conditions such as pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, lymphadenopathy, and tumors.

Related terms

• Pleural effusion: Accumulation of fluid in the pleural space, which can cause an abnormal cardiophrenic angle.
• Pericardial effusion: Accumulation of fluid in the pericardial space, which can cause an abnormal cardiophrenic angle.
• Lymphadenopathy: Disease of the lymph nodes, which can cause an abnormal cardiophrenic angle.
• Tumor: Abnormal growth of tissue, which can cause an abnormal cardiophrenic angle.

See also

• Chest radiograph
• Diaphragm (anatomy)
• Heart

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