Chest imaging: practice question

A Radiology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

Try it

Radiology · Chest imaging

Sample item

A chest radiograph in a child with fever and cough shows an opacity that obscures the right heart border but leaves the right hemidiaphragm outline visible. Which lobe is involved?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Right middle lobe

The silhouette sign occurs when an opacity touches a border of the same density and obliterates it. The right middle lobe abuts the right heart border, whereas the lower lobe abuts the diaphragm. A lingular process would obscure the left heart border.

Option by option

  • A. Right lower lobe

    Right lower lobe consolidation obscures the hemidiaphragm, which is preserved here.

  • B. Right upper lobe

    Right upper lobe consolidation obscures the upper mediastinal border and the horizontal fissure.

  • C. Right middle lobe (correct)

    Correct. Right middle lobe disease effaces the right heart border.

  • D. Left lingula

    The lingula obscures the left heart border, not the right.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Radiology questions

Questions about this Radiology question

What is the answer to this Radiology question?

The best answer is C, Right middle lobe. The silhouette sign occurs when an opacity touches a border of the same density and obliterates it.

Why is "Right lower lobe" not the answer?

Right lower lobe consolidation obscures the hemidiaphragm, which is preserved here.

Why is "Right upper lobe" not the answer?

Right upper lobe consolidation obscures the upper mediastinal border and the horizontal fissure.

Why is "Left lingula" not the answer?

The lingula obscures the left heart border, not the right.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Chest imaging in Radiology. The right middle lobe abuts the right heart border, whereas the lower lobe abuts the diaphragm. A lingular process would obscure the left heart border.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Chest imaging?

Learn signs with the image, and the disease they point to. Then use the flashcards and the other Radiology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.