To evaluate the diagnostic yield of baseline chest radiographs (CXRs) of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

We reviewed the CXR findings at diagnosis for 990 patients aged 1-18 years with ALL treated during the Total XV and XVI studies at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and evaluated the associations of these findings with clinical characteristics and initial management.

Common findings were peribronchial/perihilar thickening (n = 187 [19.0%]), pulmonary opacity/infiltrate (n = 159 [16.1%]), pleural effusion/thickening (n = 109 [11.1%]), mediastinal mass (n = 107 [10.9%]), and cardiomegaly (n = 68 [6.9%]). Portable CXRs provided results comparable with those obtained with 2-view films. Forty of 107 patients with a mediastinal mass (37.4%) had tracheal deviation/compression. Mediastinal mass, pleural effusion/thickening, and tracheal deviation/compression were more often associated with T-cell ALL than with B-cell ALL (P < .001 for all). Pulmonary opacity/infiltrate was associated with younger age (P = .003) and was more common in T-cell ALL than in B-cell ALL (P = .001). Peribronchial/perihilar thickening was associated with younger age (P < .001) and with positive central nervous system disease (P = .012). Patients with cardiomegaly were younger (P = .031), more often black than white (P = .007), and more often categorized as low risk than standard/high risk (P = .017). Patients with a mediastinal mass, pleural effusion/thickening, tracheal deviation/compression, or pulmonary opacity/infiltrate were more likely to receive less invasive sedation and more intensive care unit admissions and respiratory support (P ≤ .001 for all). Cardiomegaly was associated with intensive care unit admission (P = .008). No patients died of cardiorespiratory events during the initial 7 days of management.

The CXR can detect various intrathoracic lesions and is helpful in planning initial management.