Digital processing of chest radiographs

Plain film radiography is the most common imaging method used in the diagnosis of diseases of the heart and lungs. Despite this, little attention has been given to the possible advantages of capturing and subsequently processing such images digitally. This paper describes the application of digital image processing techniques to chest radiographs. The use of different image enhancement techniques is discussed and their clinical value in diagnosis is illustrated. Attention is given to techniques that aid the clinician in visualizing detail in low contrast regions of the image and detecting lesions such as pneumothoraces. These techniques benefit the patient by reducing the X-ray dose, as well as increasing the information that may be extracted from the image. © 1983.