What does “sharp bilateral costophrenic angles” mean?
Disease description:
Recently, I’ve been feeling some discomfort in my chest and experiencing mild shortness of breath. I went to the hospital for a CT scan, and the report states: “Both costophrenic angles are sharp.” What does this mean?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Liu Lei
Hello, sharp bilateral costophrenic angles indicate a normal chest examination—there is no pneumothorax or pleural effusion. The costophrenic angle is the angle formed between the diaphragm and the ribs within the thoracic cavity; under normal conditions, this angle appears sharp on imaging, so there is no cause for concern—the examination result is normal. If the imaging shows blunting of the costophrenic angle, it suggests the presence of pleural fluid.
