Retro Cardio Density

  My fiancee recently saw a doctor while out of town on a trip.  He diagnosed her with a "retro cardio density".  He didn't do a very good job of explaining the condition to her and told her to go see a family doctor when we got home.  I just wanted some basic information on what a retro cardio density was and the seriousness of the condition?

[CCF CARDIO MD DLB]

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Dear Chris
A retro cardiac density is just a fancy way of saying that there is an abnormality seen on x-ray that is located behind the structure of the heart. This is a difficult area to examine with an x-ray. The finding could represent a pneumonia, a lung tumor, a hiatal hernia, or nothing at all. It is impossible for me to say which of these. Your fiancee should definitely follow-up with her own doctor to sort out these possibilities.
I wish you the best of luck. I hope this has been useful.
Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.