Purpose: Comparison of image quality between digital phosphor storage plate mammography in magnification technique and a conventional film screen system regarding the special aspect of radiation exposure.
Materials and methods: Radiograms of a RMI-mammography phantom were acquired using a conventional film screen system and two digital storage plate systems. Additionally, the radiograms of one digital system were post-processed emphasizing contrast and included in the comparison.
Results: The detectability of details in storage plate mammographies with magnification technique is almost equal to that of film screen mammographies. Thereby, lower radiation exposures were necessary using the digital systems.
Conclusions: Based on these results, storage plate mammography in magnification technique is used in clinical routine at our institution. The correct parameters in image postprocessing are of elementary importance for detail detectability. Future studies must show, whether the lower radiation exposure in digital radiograms of the breast, revealing much higher background noise, will allow the same detail detectability as film screen mammographies.