[Diagnosis and differential diagnosis of cardiac enlargement in the chest film. Systematic survey (author's transl)].

The pathological enlarged heart is attempted to define by roentgenologic criteria. The historical "heart lung quotient" continues to be an important measurement. Alterations of the heart size secondary to age, the systolic-diastolic difference of the heart size and the alterations of the heart size between two chest films are discussed. Differential diagnosis of enlargement and shape of the left and right heart are presented. Also the differential diagnosis of general cardiac enlargement especially valvular heart disease, combined left and right heart failure, pericardial effusion and myocardiopathy is considered.