Digital mammography. A comparison of two digitization methods.
A preliminary study of 40 different radiodense breasts digitized with a Fuji high resolution BAFBr:EU2+ imaging plate enabled us to establish acceptable enhancement procedures with a Fuji Computer Radiology 201 system. Screen-film images of 36 of these breasts were also digitized and enhanced on a Damon DETECT TV system. Three radiologists specializing in mammography reviewed each pair of images. For the 20 normal examinations, both digital methods were considered equivalent in image quality, while for the 16 cases containing pathology (masses and/or calcifications) the TV system was considered to provide the best image quality twice as often as the laser scanned system. The radiologists rejected both methods of enhancement for 8% of the images. Despite cost differences between the two systems, both have equal capability in penetrating dense breasts. However, both systems have several significant deficiencies which preclude their clinical use. At the present time, there is no objective justification for using either system for breast imaging other than in an experimental capacity.