Early victims of X-rays: a tribute and current perception

Abstract

X-rays were discovered in 1895 and since then much has been written about Wilhelm Roentgen and the events surrounding the discovery. However, there have been only scattered references in the literature about the early workers who dedicated their life, and death, to X-rays. Radiology has come of age since then. Large exposure times have been reduced to milliseconds and there has been a change from analogue to digital. The advent of new and rapidly developing modalities and the ubiquitous presence of cone beam CT (CBCT) highlight the need to remember the early victims of X-rays, especially with the lack of universal guidelines for taking a CBCT scan. The aim of this article is to alert the oral radiologist to exposing patients irrespective of need, and to pay respect to the victims on the 116th anniversary of the discovery of X-rays.

Introductory Chapter: Having a Brain is Not Necessary to Get Cancer… but Indispensable to Fight It

“…Roentgen, who died of intestinal cancer [1,21]. But since 1926, cancer has become the second most common cause of death, just behind the heart disease.…”

Medical imaging using ionizing radiation: Optimization of dose and image quality in fluoroscopy

“…Shortly after Röntgen discovered x-rays, the effects of exposure to high doses of radiation became apparent. 47,48 At Vanderbilt University in the United States, Professor John Daniel was a physicist working with discharge tubes when he read the news about Röntgen's discovery. With his own equipment Professor Daniel was able to acquire radiographs of thin body parts.…”

Effect of image sharpening on radiographic image quality

“…(Jacobsohn & Fedran, 1995) (Raper, 1953) (Sansare, 2014) C. Edmund Kells among others applied this new technology to the field of dentistry. (Jacobsohn & Fedran, 1995) (Raper, 1953) (Sansare, 2014) Over the years the technology evolved, becoming safer and easier to use. (Sansare, 2014) Today dental radiology is central to oral diagnosis and treatment planning.…”