Solarization in clinical imaging
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Updated: Oct 22, 2026

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Published on: February 6, 2019
M M Goodsitt1, T W Hepburn, P N Cascade
1Department of Radiology, University of Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor 48109-0030.
Abstract:
X-ray exposure levels at which solarization occurs were determined for a new screen-film system and its predecessor, both from the same manufacturer and both with a speed class of 400. Solarization (contrast reversal [lead markers imaged as black on a lighter back-ground]) was clearly evident with the new system at a cassette exposure level of 132 mR (3.4 x 10(-5) C/kg). No solarization was exhibited by the old system even at five times this exposure. In rare cases, solarization can obscure bone and soft-tissue detail, thereby degrading the diagnostic accuracy of the radiograph.
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