Radiology ReviewDecember, 2012 A 61-year-old man presents to
your urgent care center for evaluation of “chest pain” he has
been experiencing for almost four weeks. He denies any injury or
trauma. He describes the pain as “sharp” and “stabbing” and says
occasionally it is associated with breathing, localized
primarily to the left side. There is no radiation of the pain.
He denies fever, nausea, weight loss, night sweats, and
hemoptysis. He has smoked a half-pack of cigarettes daily for
more than 40 years. His medical history is otherwise
unremarkable, except that he was told he had “high blood
pressure” and he had his sternum repaired several years ago,
following fracture in an accident. Vital signs are as follows:
temperature, 36.4°C; blood pressure, 174/100 mm Hg; ventricular
rate, 88 beats/min; respiratory rate, 20 breaths/min; and O2
saturation, 100% on room air. He appears to be in no obvious
distress. Lung sounds are normal, as is the rest of the physical
examination. You obtain a chest radiograph. What