Blunting on chest x ray

[inattentive38]

Posted in AIBU for traffic but no luck!

Absolutely beside myself right now.

i was put on birth control for PMDD and got chest pains so i stopped taking it (this birth control can cause blood clots on the lung) and GP sent me for a blood test, ecg and chest xray - that was 4 days ago. All came back fine apparently.

Ive just had a call from the hospital and they said actually there was ‘blunting of the costophrenic angles’ on the cray so I need to go back in 6 weeks to have another. I’ve of course googled it and it doesn’t sound good at all - fluid on the lungs, possible cancer, heart failure, all sorts. I am freaking out - feel sick, panicky, dizzy.

i cannot imagine how I will get through the next 6 weeks waiting! Has anyone had similar and has some good news?! 🙏🏻

Didn't want to read and run.

What you describe is a finding of pleural effusion. Essentially, this is fluid in the space between the chest wall and lung. It occurs for a multitude of reasons, and sometimes the cause is unknown. I'm presuming that you are young (as you still menstruate) and otherwise relatively fit, therefore it is unlikely that you have heart failure or cancer without other history or symptoms. The bloods and ECG carried out would have also ruled out many of the more serious conditions.

The repeat chest x-ray will just be to see whether it has cleared up (which in most cases like yours, it will have.)

Thanks so much @TheVeryHungryTortoise . I’ve seen you can get that following an infection but I haven’t had anything like that recently - no coughing etc. I’m 39 and smoked for 15 years 😖 stopped 8 years ago. I’m terrified it’s that and I’ve made some lasting damage.

I’m trying to think positively - the doctor on the phone had discharged me on Friday saying everything was ‘absolutely fine’ and on the phone today she said please try not to worry, 4 of us looked at the x Ray and couldn’t see anything, only my consultant said he thought he could see a slight blunting 🤞🏻

Oh but also my mum does have AF and had a heart valve replacement so worrying about possible hereditary heart failure 😣