Mnemonic

Cardiac Borders on the Chest Radiograph

A memory aid for which chambers form the cardiac silhouette on a chest radiograph.

Expansion

Right border is right atrium; left border is aortic knuckle, pulmonary trunk, left atrial appendage and left ventricle

Expansion

Right border, from top down:

  • Superior vena cava
  • Right atrium
  • (Sometimes a sliver of inferior vena cava at the cardiophrenic angle)

Left border, from top down:

  • Aortic knuckle
  • Pulmonary trunk
  • Left atrial appendage
  • Left ventricle

The left atrium sits posteriorly and normally contributes only its appendage to the outline; when it enlarges it produces a double right heart border, splaying of the carina and posterior displacement of the oesophagus.