x-ray shows rounded heart

A chest x-ray has shown what my doctor described as a round shape to my heart.  I am scheduled for an echocardiogram.  What can cause the heart to have this shape?  Thank you

[Cleveland Clinic]

Popie,

It takes a minute for your questions to appear on the forum after pressing the post button.  Be careful, when you post 2 of the same questions, it keep others from being able to post.

There is alot of variability in the appearance of the heart using chest plain film radiography (chest x-ray).  The chest x-ray should not be relied soley upon for the diagnosis of a heart disease. It can be accomplished with much higher definition by echocardiography.  Unless markedly enlarged, a rounded appearance may be a normal finding and related to your body habitus or rotation of your body during the radiograph or an abnormal finding related to chamber enlargement of the heart. The echo will help tell the difference.

[ken888]

A related discussion, HEART NOT SHOWING ON CHEST X-RAY was started.