Chest film diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus in infants with hyaline membrane disease.

Patent ductus arteriosus in an infant with hyaline membrane disease is usually a serious complication. To evaluate the diagnostic role of chest radiography in these infants, a double-blind study comparing patients with both hyaline membrane disease and patent ductus arteriosus and matched controls was undertaken. Three pediatric radiologists acted as observers. In no instance were they more reliable than chance in predicting the presence of a patent ductus arteriosus. Analysis according to various clinical criteria (e.g., severity of illness, PAO2) also failed to show any subgroup in which the observers were accurate. From these data it is concluded that chest radiography does not play a significant role in the diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus in infants with hyaline membrane disease.