The Visible Bronchial Tree

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Abstract
During the early developmental period of chest roentgenology there was much discussion concerning the anatomical counterpart of the normal lung markings in the roentgenogram. It is now recognized that these normal lung markings are the shadows of vessels, mainly the branches of the pulmonary artery. This has been proved experimentally and is theoretically in harmony with the anatomical and physical facts. The blood-filled vascular tree absorbs more of the rays than the surrounding air-filled pulmonary parenchyma and casts a dark shadow in a well illuminated field. The bronchi are air-filled tubes with thin walls usually too thin to be visible on the film. Since air within the bronchi cannot contrast with air in the surrounding alveolar sacs, the bronchi are not visible. It may be assumed theoretically that in the presence of pneumonic parenchymal consolidation the air-filled bronchi may become visible as a ramifying system of radiolucent strands within an obscured field. This observation was first made in...

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