[Digitalized thoracic radiography in cancerology. Present contribution apropos of 200 examinations]

The authors report a double study comparing the conventional chest radiograph and digitalised images. The first study was to visualise normal mediastinal structures (the contour of the posterior mediastinum, the azygo-oesophageal recess, the bronchial sub-segments, intermediate, carina, trachea) and showed a superiority of the digitalised image. The second study was on the recognition of radiological abnormalities in lung cancer which showed no precise superiority of the digitalised image in the mediastinum (bronchial tumour, adenopathies) and a current deficiency at the pleuro-parenchymal level (pulmonary nodules, atelectasis pleural effusion). This double study presents parallel results to those obtained by the anglosaxon authors on different prototypes in whom the technology and possibilities were different. The principles, the advantages and the limits of these prototypes were described and in conclusion a chosen technique for the medium term is proposed by the authors.