Abdominal (lateral view)
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The lateral view abdominal radiograph is a useful problem-solving view that can complement frontal views of the abdomen, often utilised in the context of forging diesforeign bodies or to better visualise lines such as a shunt. It is different thanfrom the lateral decubitus view of the abdomen and looks more like a lateral lumbar spine view.
Patient position
- the patient may be either erect or recumbent, with her or his side against the detector
- legs may be flexed for balance
- arms raised
- lower bound of the field of view should contain the inferior pubic ramus
- the X-ray is taken in full inspiration
Technical factors
- supine lateral projection
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centring point
- the midcoronal plane at the level of the iliac crest
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collimation
- anterior-posterior to the skin margins
- superior to the diaphragm
- inferior to the level inferior pubic rami
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orientation
- portrait
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detector size
- 35 cm x 43 cm
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exposure
- 70-80 kVp
- 30-120 mAs; AEC should be used if available
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SID
- 100 cm
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grid
- yes
Image technical evaluation
- the projection can be confirmed lateral via the lateral appearance of the vertebral bodies
- skin border is not burnt out (a filter may be required to address this)
- no blurring of the bowel gas due to respiratory motion
Practical points
- the lateral abdomen can be useful to visualise rectal gas and differentiate colonic ileus from a distal colonic obstruction however it does not offer much information about bowel gas from the frontal view
- this projection can be done erect or supine, often used to localise foreign bodies or as part of a shunt series when there is a high degree of winding of the line
-<p>The <strong>lateral view abdominal radiograph</strong> is a useful problem-solving view that can complement frontal views of the abdomen, often utilised in the context of forging dies or to better visualise lines such as a shunt. It is different than the <a href="/articles/abdomen-lateral-decubitus-view-1">lateral decubitus view</a> of the abdomen and looks more like a lateral lumbar spine view.</p><h4>Patient position</h4><ul>- +<p>The <strong>lateral view abdominal radiograph</strong> is a useful problem-solving view that can complement frontal views of the abdomen, often utilised in the context of foreign bodies or to better visualise lines such as a shunt. It is different from the <a href="/articles/abdomen-lateral-decubitus-view-1">lateral decubitus view</a> of the abdomen and looks more like a lateral lumbar spine view.</p><h4>Patient position</h4><ul>