Which imaging modality is commonly used to support heart failure diagnosis and assess the lungs?

• A. PET scan
• B. Chest radiograph
• C. MRI brain
• D. CT abdomen

Answer: (B)

Chest radiography is the imaging study most commonly used to support a heart failure diagnosis while also evaluating the lungs. It provides a quick, widely available view of the heart and pulmonary vasculature, helping to identify signs of congestion such as an enlarged or silhouette-destroyed heart, interstitial edema with Kerley B lines, perihilar vascular congestion, and pleural effusions. These findings support the presence of fluid overload and help distinguish heart failure from other causes of shortness of breath, like pneumonia or COPD, by showing edema patterns rather than isolated parenchymal disease. While it isn’t definitive for heart failure— echocardiography remains the key test to assess cardiac structure and function— the chest X-ray is the go-to initial imaging to corroborate the diagnosis and to monitor changes with treatment. Other imaging modalities listed aren’t routinely used for this purpose: PET scans focus on metabolic activity, MRI of the brain is unrelated to cardiac assessment, and CT of the abdomen does not evaluate the heart or lungs in this context.