DIAGNOSTIC-ACCURACY OF DIRECT DIGITAL DENTAL RADIOGRAPHY FOR THE DETECTION OF PERIAPICAL BONE-LESIONS .2. EFFECTS ON DIAGNOSTIC-ACCURACY AFTER APPLICATION OF IMAGE-PROCESSING

Objectives. The diagnostic accuracy of direct digital radiography for the detection of small experimentally made periapical lesions was eval uated. A comparison was made between original digital images and image s processed with different enhancement facilities' of the digital syst em. Study design. Seven observers assessed the digital images in origi nal mode and after individual image treatment. The diagnostic accuracy was calculated. The processing functions used by the observers were r ecorded, and the effect of processing was evaluated. Results. The over all diagnostic accuracy was not different for the two image modes. Nei ther were the individual results of the observers different. The image processing was most effective when alterings of contrast and brightne ss were used. More complicated processing procedures had less effect o n the diagnostic accuracy. Conclusions. Image processing of direct dig ital images of high quality has a limited effect on the diagnostic acc uracy. Basic processing functions, that is, alterings of contrast and brightness, were preferred for the detection of periapical lesions.