The expiratory film in hyaline membrane disease: preliminary observations.

The chest radiographs of 10 babies who developed an abrupt diffuse pulmonary parenchymal opacification in conjunction with pulmonary hemorrhage, pulmonary edema, or pneumonia as a complication of hyaline membrane disease were reviewed. The chest radiographs of these 10 babies were compared to five radiographs obtained with various degrees of expiration in four babies with uncomplicated hyaline membrane disease. The comparison indicates that analysis of air bronchograms facilitates discrimination of pulmonary opacification due to filming in expiration from pathologic diffuse parenchymal opacification in babies with hyaline membrane disease. Expiration produces constriction and centralization of air bronchograms. Alveolar filling processes are associated with distension and peripheral extension of air bronchograms.