RadioGraphics, Vol 17, 479-498, Copyright © 1997 by Radiological Society of North America
Image quality and the clinical radiographic examination
CJ Vyborny
Department of Radiology, Columbia LaGrange Memorial Hospital, LaGrange, IL 60525, USA.
Image quality considerations in medical radiography are as diverse and
complex as are the types of anatomy and pathologic conditions encountered
in clinical practice. Nevertheless, certain basic concepts are central to
the discussion of image quality in any radiographic examination. These
concepts include the types of significant, or target, findings that are
expected to occur and the anatomic background on which they are likely to
appear. Physical parameters of radiographic systems, such as contrast,
sharpness, and noise, act in unison in determining the final appearance of
a radiograph and affect not only the portrayal of the expected pathologic
condition but also that of the normal anatomy. Basic radiographic
approaches in different clinical radiographic examinations can be derived
from anticipated targets and backgrounds as well as from known physical
determinants of image quality in radiography.
