What would a chest X-ray of someone with pneumonia likely show?

A chest X-ray of someone with pneumonia typically demonstrates increased density due to consolidation, where the alveoli in the lungs fill with fluid, pus, or other substances resulting from the infectious process. This consolidation appears as areas of opacity on the X-ray, indicating that the normally aerated lung tissue is now denser and less able to transmit X-rays. Atelectasis, or the collapse of part or all of a lung, may also contribute to these findings, as it can occur alongside pneumonia, further increasing the density seen in the affected areas of the lung.

The other options do not accurately reflect the radiological findings associated with pneumonia. Clear lung fields would indicate no pathology present, which does not align with a pneumonia diagnosis. Enlarged heart shadows could be indicative of conditions such as heart failure or pericardial effusion, not pneumonia. Bronchiectasis is a chronic condition characterized by an abnormal dilation of the bronchi and would not typically present in the acute setting of pneumonia on an X-ray. Thus, the presence of increased density from consolidation and atelectasis is the hallmark finding in a chest X-ray for pneumonia.