[Photo Compact Disc: proposal for the electronic storage of images]

We applied the Photo-CD technology to create an electronic image file easy and quick to use to optimize the retrieval of medical images for teaching purposes. We digitized 1,500 slides of diagnostic examinations from the archive of our Institution: the corresponding electronic files were stored on Photo-CD disks. The data relevant to every image were collected and recorded with the help of a relational data-base program. Thus, each user could retrieve the suitable images from the optical disks by a multiple and flexible key-word search. We compared the use of the electronic archive with a traditional hand-based file with the help of 3 teachers committed to prepare a lesson containing 5 slides on different subjects. The use of the electronic image archive corresponded to markedly shorter searching and file updating times. We tried also to assess the capabilites of this filing procedure for image post-processing and for the build-up of self-assessment programs.