Storage phosphor and film-screen mammography: performance with different mammographic techniques

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the image quality of storage phosphor plates with that in screen-film radiograms in mammography. Two anode/filter combinations were also compared--Mo/Mo and W/Rh. S Storage phosphor plates, generation IIIN (Fuji, Tokyo, Japan) and a conventional screen-film system (Kodak, Rochester, N. Y.) were evaluated using two mammographic units. One unit had a 0.6-mm focal spot, an anode/filter combination of Mo/Mo and no grid (AMo); the other had a 0.3-mm focal spot, a grid, and two possible combinations of anode/filter Mo/Mo (BMo) and W/Rh (BW). Simulated tumours and microcalcifications were randomly positioned in an anthropomorphic breast phantom (RMI model 165, no. 210-009, Radiation Measurements Inc., Middleton, Wisconsin). The image quality was evaluated using a modified version of receiver operating characteristics analysis. Five observers evaluated 300 films and 300 hard copy images each. Radiation doses were also determined. The image quality of the conventional screen-film images was significantly better than that for the storage phosphor plate mammograms. The BMo system rated best, for the detection of both tumours and microcalcifications, although it was not significantly different from the BW system. Systems BMo and BW rated significantly better than the AMo system for both image receptors studied. The mean absorbed dose was twice as high for the BMo system as for the AMo and BW systems for both conventional and digital technique. The mammograms produced with the screen-film combination gave a significantly better detectability than the storage phosphor plates used in this study. Substantial dose reduction could be achieved using an anode/filter combination of W/Rh instead of Mo/Mo with no significant loss of information in the images.

Full-field Digital Mammography versus Film-screen Mammography

“…One example is a study comparing systems based on amorphous selenium and CCD to screen-film, where the digital systems were superior for all dose levels, but differences between digital systems could not be detected (Lee et al, 2003). These results are contrary to a publication where images of an anthropomorphic phantom made with a thirdgeneration CR system and FSM on two different mammography units showed significantly better detection of masses and calcifications for FSM (Kheddache et al, 1999). Therefore, improvements in the later-generation CR systems might explain these contradictory results.…”

Dose reduction and its influence on diagnostic accuracy and radiation risk in digital mammography: an observer performance study using an anthropomorphic breast phantom

“…As shown in Figure 1, an X-ray image of the phantom appears similar to that of a human breast, and it consists of material that makes it comparable to a standard breast regarding exposures [17]. The phantom has a 1 mm thick transverse slot at the midplane, into which a film containing structures resembling masses and microcalcifications can be inserted.…”

Digital mammography: current state and future aspects

“…The CR systems derived from general radiography were also used for full-field breast imaging. These systems did not gain wide acceptance due to limitations in detective quantum efficiency (DQE) and low spatial resolution [1][2][3]. Other working groups combined digital storage phosphor plates with the direct magnification technique and an X-ray tube with a very small focal spot [4].…”