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Chest

Aortic Nipple – The Left Superior Intercostal Vein

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History: 50 year old male with cough.

Frontal radiograph of the chest reveals a small rounded opacity at the lateral aspect of the aortic arch (arrow).

Frontal radiograph of the chest reveals a small rounded opacity at the lateral aspect of the aortic arch (arrow). Incidentally, the patient has a bullet in the soft tissues of his right hemithorax.

This is the typical appearance of the “aortic nipple” on a chest radiograph. This opacity is caused by the left superior intercostal vein, which lies immediately adjacent to the aortic arch in this region. It is a normal finding seen in less than 5% of patients.

About radiologypics

I am a radiology physician from California, USA.

Discussion

2 thoughts on “Aortic Nipple – The Left Superior Intercostal Vein”

  1. Can a bullet that perforated the aorta,cause a person to suffocate on their on blood?

    Posted by Tia Refuge | February 22, 2014, 7:23 pm
    Reply to this comment

  2. Oops sorry for the typo “on their own blood”

    Posted by Tia Refuge | February 22, 2014, 7:28 pm
    Reply to this comment

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