This tutorial has discussed the need for a systematic approach to ensure no important structures are ignored. The patient and image data is always checked, and image quality assessed. There is no single order for viewing the anatomical structures visible on a chest X-ray, but the chest X-ray anatomy tutorial is presented in an order that you may find useful while developing your own system.

If you see an abnormality, try to locate it and describe it as fully as you can before continuing to examine the rest of the image systematically. Finish by double checking the review areas.

Try and answer any specific questions raised by the clinical features.