| Differential: | lung mass, lung collapse |
In radiology, the Golden S sign, also known as the S sign of Golden, is a radiologic sign seen on chest X-ray that suggests a central lung mass or a lung collapse.[1] It was first described by, and subsequently named after, Dr Ross Golden (1889–1975) in 1925 in association with bronchial carcinoma,[2] but it is also seen in metastatic cancer, enlarged lymph nodes, and collapse of the right upper lobe of the lung.[1]
The Golden S sign can be seen on plain radiographs as well as on computed tomography (CT) scans of the chest.[1] [3] The sign is seen in the right lung as a distorted minor fissure, whose lateral aspect is concave inferiorly and whose medial aspect is convex inferiorly.[1] This produces a "reverse S" appearance, responsible for the sign being occasionally called the reverse S sign of Golden.[1]