Cardiac Disease in the Elderly: Radiographic Features.

The plain film appearances of cardiac disease in the geriatric age group are often different in younger patients because of the increased incidence of age related heart diseases, the physiological alterations that affect the range of normal values in the elderly, and the complicating effects of age related noncardiac diseases. Although the clinical significance of conditions, such as coronary artery calcification, calcification of the mitral annulus, and senile calcification of the aortic valve, is not completely understood at the present, they are indicative of significant disease in an appreciable number of patients. Furthermore, the roentgen appearance of the normal heart and lungs, as well as common cardiac conditions such as congestive failure, can be different in the elderly. If these changes are not appreciated, interpretation of the ubiquitous chest film, one of the most common and available techniques for the detection of heart disease, can result in misdiagnosis as well as a missed diagnosis. (c)1999 by CVRR, Inc.