[The "chest wall factor" in the differential diagnosis of pathologic X-ray findings in thoracic maladies (author's transl)].

Abnormalities as well as pathologic alterations of the thoracic wall (soft tissues and bony thorax) often present themselves radiographically as small coin-lesions or as a circumscribed shadow accompanying the chest wall. Exact inspection and palpation of the thorax, a fluoroscopy with television X-ray intensifier restricted to the interesting thoracic sector and some soft tissue (voltage about 60 kV) partial radiographs are necessary in order to get the correct diagnosis. The knowledge of the exact side of the pathologic alteration allows a thin-sliced multilayer tomography. Nine cases with abnormalities or pathologic changes of the chest wall are demonstrated.