DIGITAL IMAGING OF BLACK-AND-WHITE PHOTOMICROGRAPHS - IMPACT OF FILE SIZE

The publication of black and white photomicrographs has a long traditi on in pathology. High-resolution film and quality objectives have been the backbone of generating quality photomicrographs suitable for publ ication. However, the digital imaging revolution has changed the way w e view and capture images. As the quality of image capture devices inc reases and as their price decreases, more and more investigators are u sing digital imaging, and the use of color digital imaging for telecon ferencing, telediagnosis, and reproduction is now well established. Th e purpose of this study was to determine the file sizes needed to obta in publication-quality black and white images using digital imaging te chnology. In this study, four experts in renal pathology reviewed 70 b lack and white images of various file sizes obtained from specimens re presenting a variety of renal histopathology. Without knowledge of the file size, the four renal pathologists graded the degree of pixelatio n, and the overall diagnostic and publication quality of the images. In all cases, digital imaging was capable of obtaining publication qua lity images equal to those achieved using film. The file size needed t o achieve publication quality black and white images depended on magni fication, with lower magnification images requiring larger file sizes.