[Abdominal x-ray diagnosis using digital luminescent radiography--a comparison with conventional film-screen systems]

Abdominal x-ray examinations represent a variety of indications with different demands on exposure latitude, contrast resolution and spatial resolution of screen-film system combinations. The diagnostic value of digital luminescent radiography (DLR) was thus compared to conventional x-ray examinations carried out with screen-film systems, speed class 200, by analysing matched digital and conventional exposures in 46 abdominal and 25 pelvic x-ray examinations in supine and left lateral view, 156 contrast examinations of the gastrointestinal tract, 140 excretory urographies, 8 cholecystographies, 22 lymphographies and in 6 phlebographies. The digital exposure dose was 50% of the conventional one. In DLR two differently post-processed images were obtained from one x-ray exposure: a display with low spatial frequency enhancement was processed to look like a conventional radiograph and was complemented by a display with high spatial frequency enhancement. Analysing the results statistically, DLR proved to be diagnostically equivalent to conventional radiography despite the reduction in exposure dose and the lower digital spatial resolution. Since high spatial frequency enhancement did not provide further diagnostic information and eventually resulted in border line artifacts, high spatial frequency enhancement is superfluous in abdominal x-ray examinations.