With digital mammography the image that is produced after x-ray exposure of the
breast is displayed on a monitor rather than film.
The digital technology offers several
potential advantages over the standard use of radiographic film.
Unlike images on radiographic film, digital images:
- can be
stored and transferred electronically, which facilitates their
quick and easy retrieval as well as remote evaluation by distant
specialists;
- can be
manipulated to correct for under or over-exposure without the
necessity of taking another mammogram;
- have a
large dynamic range that allows examination of all areas of the
breast, despite their varying density. The limited dynamic range
of the film screen systems sometimes requires additional exposures
at different settings to reveal very high or very low density
areas of the breast.
Digital technique may be well suited for
certain individuals with dense breast tissue.
