Chest Radiograph (Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia)

Chest radiograph in a newborn with respiratory distress syndrome. No heart shadow is visible on the left side of the thorax, and instead of typical lung structures, multiple dark and rounded lesions with a fine and clear margin are recognizable. Through the congenital opening of the left diaphragm, multiple loops of the intestine have entered the corresponding thoracic cavity. After birth, these intestinal loops are filled with air, which explains the described tissue structure (cross-sectional view of the loops). The intestine filled with air acts as a space-occupying mass; therefore, the heart is shifted to the right side and the left-sided as well the contralateral lung is compressed, leading to respiratory distress syndrome.