Kerley B lines.
Kerley B lines were not a disease. They were a physical sign—a map of interstitial edema. kerley b lines on chest x ray
Dr. Vasquez typed her report: Findings: Cardiomegaly. Prominent interstitial markings with bilateral Kerley B lines in the lower lung zones, consistent with pulmonary venous hypertension and early interstitial edema. She picked up the phone to call the emergency department. Kerley B lines
But it was a subtle detail in the lung periphery that caught her attention. She picked up the phone to call the emergency department
End of story.
In Mr. Harrison’s case, his failing left ventricle had backed up pressure into the pulmonary veins. That pressure had forced fluid out of the capillaries and into the interlobular septa—the thin connective tissue walls between the lung’s tiny air sacs. Normally invisible, these septa had thickened with fluid just enough to become visible on X-ray.
The Fine Reticulum