Chest equalization radiography.

Abstract

The conventional chest radiograph has a number of limitations as a diagnostic method of evaluating chest disease. The wide variation in attenuation between the lung and mediastinum frequently results in images with low contrast over the thicker portions. This, coupled with the presence of intense body-scattered radiation that must be adequately removed, makes chest radiography one of the most challenging diagnostic procedures in conventional radiography. Scanning equalization radiography (SER) is an alternative method of chest imaging that overcomes these limitations without employing other highly complex or expensive solutions such as digital imaging. Recent clinical studies have shown that diagnostic efficacy is improved with SER, and that SER offers the potential of significantly reducing the frequency of diagnostic errors and repeated examinations while producing cost savings.