Kerley Line Exclusive

Kerley lines are short, horizontal lines that appear at the lung periphery on a chest X-ray or computed tomography (CT) scan. They are typically 1-2 cm long and are seen in the lung fields, often in the lower lobes. These lines represent interstitial edema, which is the accumulation of fluid in the interstitial tissue of the lungs.

Lena reached for the phone, then paused. She remembered her first year as an attending, how the senior radiologist—a man named Harlow who smelled of camphor and cigarettes—had once pulled her aside. He had pointed to a similar line, on a similar film. “This,” he had said, “is where medicine happens. Not in the heroics. In the noticing.” kerley line

Kerley lines have several distinct characteristics: Kerley lines are short, horizontal lines that appear