Digital selenium radiography: anti-scatter grid for chest radiography in a clinical study

Area of Science:

• Radiological imaging
• Medical physics

Background:

• Digital selenium radiography (DSR) is used for chest imaging.
• Anti-scatter grids are employed to reduce scattered radiation, potentially improving image quality.
• The necessity of anti-scatter grids in DSR for chest radiography requires evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the diagnostic performance of an additional stationary anti-scatter grid in DSR.
• To compare image quality with and without an anti-scatter grid in chest radiography.

Main Methods:

• Chest radiographs were acquired using DSR in 100 patients, with and without an anti-scatter grid.
• Four observers evaluated the visualization of 12 anatomical landmarks, catheters, and wire cerclages.
• Paired t-test was used for statistical analysis of observer scores.

Main Results:

• Improved visualization of anatomical landmarks, catheters, and wire cerclages was observed in high attenuation regions when using an anti-scatter grid.
• No significant difference in visualization was found in peripheral regions between the two imaging techniques.
• Patient sex and weight did not influence the observed differences.

Conclusions:

• An anti-scatter grid is not recommended for routine chest radiography with DSR.
• The use of an anti-scatter grid increases patient radiation exposure.
• The diagnostic benefit in terms of visualization across all chest regions does not outweigh the increased radiation dose.