OBSERVER EVALUATION OF SCATTER SUBTRACTION FOR DIGITAL PORTABLE CHEST RADIOGRAPHS

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. The authors compared standard digital portable chest radiographs (DPCXR) to scatter-subtracted DPCXR. METHODS. Thirty DPCXR were obtained using a photostimulable phosphor digital imaging system and a posterior beam stop (PBS) technique that allowed measurement of the scatter component of the DPCXR. The scatter component was subtracted from the clinical image to form a scatter-subtracted image. Six observers recorded preference for the standard image or scatter-subtracted image for identifying five radiographic landmarks and for image quality. RESULTS. A statistically significant preference was demonstrated for the scatter-subtracted images and for viewing the tracheo-bronchial tree, right paratracheal stripe, vertebral column, and support apparatus position. For unprocessed images, there was a statistically significant preference for viewing the pulmonary vasculature. No statistically significant preference was demonstrated for overall image quality. CONCLUSIONS. These results suggest that PBS scatter subtraction holds promise for improving visualization of structures in high-scatter regions of chest radiographs.