Digital chest imaging: selenium radiography versus storage phosphor imaging. Comparison of visualization of specific anatomic regions of the chest.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To compare selenium- versus phosphor-based digital chest imaging for visualization of various anatomic regions of the chest. METHODS: Thirteen observers analyzed pairs of posteroanterior (PA) and lateral chest radiographs of 63 patients. One radiograph in each pair was obtained with a digital selenium chest radiography system, and the other with a storage phosphor-based technique. Each observer rated the visibility and the radiographic quality of 21 anatomic regions. RESULTS: The observers rated visualization obtained with the selenium system as better than that obtained with the storage phosphor system in 12 anatomic regions (right lower lobe, retrodiaphragmatic, upper lobes, minor fissure, hilum, carina, azygoesophageal recess, ribs, soft tissue, upper mediastinum on the PA image, and major fissure and sternum on the lateral image). Five regions were equally appreciated (retrocardiac on the PA, lower lobes, lingual-middle lobe, soft tissue, and subdiaphragmatic region on lateral images). Four regions were rated better on phosphor imaging than on selenium films (thoracic spine on PA, upper lobes, lower, and upper thoracic spine on lateral films) (17,199 observations, P < 0.05, sign test). CONCLUSIONS: On PA images the digital selenium chest system provides better visualization of most anatomic structures than the phosphor system. Lateral images show an almost equal preference.