Diseases of the Chest Wall, Pleura, and Diaphragm.

In contrast to the visceral organs (lung, mediastinum), the symmetry of the chest wall allows radiographic detection of tiny changes overlaying the deeper structures. Except in skeletal disease, calcification, and emphysema, chest radiography will often only reveal nonspecific signs, whereas sectional methods, i.e., ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), permit the identification, characterization, and assessment of many diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]