Airways and lung collapse

Left upper lobe collapse

Note the following appearances

• Trachea deviated to the left
• Right heart border not visible - indicating mediastinal shift to the left
• Volume loss of the left hemithorax
• 'Veil-like' opacification of the left hemithorax obscuring the left heart border - characteristic of left upper lobe collapse
• Ovoid density at the left hilum

CT (next image) confirmed a large left hilar mass, which occluded the left upper lobe bronchus.

• Note the left hemidiaphragm is still visible - indicating sparing of the left lower lobe
• The left lower lobe has increased in volume to compensate for the volume loss and can be seen wrapping round the medial side of the collapsed upper lobe (red line). This is known as the 'Luftsichel' (air crescent) sign .