Aortic Nipple – The Left Superior Intercostal Vein

History: 50 year old male with cough. 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.

radiologypics

February 7, 2013

1–2 minutes

chest, Normal

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). 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.

2 responses to “Aortic Nipple – The Left Superior Intercostal Vein”

Tia Refuge

February 22, 2014 at 7:23 pm

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

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Tia Refuge

February 22, 2014 at 7:28 pm

Oops sorry for the typo “on their own blood”

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