Value of routine chest radiography in the medical screening of internationally adopted children

Aim: To assess the value of the routine chest radiography as part of the medical evaluation of newly arrived, internationally adopted children. Methods: We evaluated the use of routine chest radiography (CXR) in the medical screening of 1598 internationally adopted children. Results: CXR showed abnormalities in 128 cases: 38 of these findings were already known and/or consistent with obvious clinical signs or symptoms, and 54 had no clinical relevance. In two patients, CXR raised the suspicion of tuberculosis. Conclusion: The routine use of CXR in the screening of internationally adopted children rarely yields new, clinically relevant, information and should be performed on indication only.