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Azygos lobe

In human anatomy, an azygos lobe is a rare congenital variation of the upper lobe of the right lung. Embryologically, it arises from an anomalous lateral course of the azygos vein  in a pleural septum within the upper lobe. As it has NO bronchi, veins and arteries of its own, it is not a true, or even accessory, pulmonary lobe, but rather an anatomically separated part of the upper lobe. It is usually an incidental finding on chest x-ray or computed tomography and is as such not associated with any morbidity but can cause technical problems in thoracoscopic procedure.

Azygos lobe on chest x-ray. Arrowheads show the delineation of the lobe. Arrow points to the azygos vein.
Azygos lobe on chest x-ray. Arrowheads show the delineation of the lobe. Arrow points to the azygos vein.

Azygos lobe in axial computer tomography. Arrow on azygos vein.
Azygos lobe in axial computer tomography. Arrow on azygos vein.

The International Day of Radiology (IDoR)

The International Day of Radiology (IDoR) is an annual event promoting the role of medical imaging in modern healthcare.  It is celebrated on November 8 each year, and coincides with the anniversary of the discovery of x-rays. It was first introduced in 2012, as a joint initiative, by the European Society of Radiology (ESR), the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), and the American College of Radiology (ACR).

Wilhelm Conrad Röentgen-Nobel Prize First Winner In Physics


Picture of Wilhelm Conrad Röentgen.

X-Rays were first discovered in 1895 by German scientist,  Wilhelm Conrad Röentgen.

Roentgen won the first Nobel Prize in physics in 1901 for his discovery. While he was experimenting with electric currents passing through a tube, he realized that a nearby fluorescent screen began glowing as the current passed through.

When he switched the current off, the screen ceased to glow. Because the glowing could be attributed to unknown rays, he appropriately named them X-rays, which is the origin of the term we still use to this day.

One of the first x-rays taken was of his wife's hand, where he could see her hand and her wedding ring on the image. 

The first human bones ever to be recorded with X-rays belonged to Bertha, Wilhelm Röntgen’s wife. 

The implications of the technology were huge and the medical community recognized its worth in diagnosis of various broken bones, fractures, and ailments. Within a few months of the discovery, machines were produced to be used in the medical community and it wasn't long before they were a widespread, commonly used technology.