DIGITAL OPTICAL CARD - A PROMISING TECHNOLOGY FOR DOCUMENTATION AND COMMUNICATION OF IMAGES

Purpose: To assess a patient-oriented digital optical card (OC) for do cumentation and communication of images using the analysis of breast m icrocalcifications to illustrate its resolution power. Methods. Fifty film mammograms with histologically proved clustered microcalcificatio ns were digitized using a 5 Ip/mm CCD-scanner. A region of interest co ntaining the cluster was selected for documentation on an OC as an ove rview OC-image and as a magnified OC-image (5 Ip/mm). The shape (spher ical/nonspherical) as well as the total number of microcalcifications were quantitatively analyzed by 2 radiologists. Results: The detection rate for total number of overall and spherical microcalcifications us ing digital media was significantly reduced (p<0.01) compared to analo g mammography. There were no significant differences in the detection rate of nonspherical microcalcifications between film mammograms (100% ) and magnified section OC-images (92.7%). The overview OC-image revea led 72% of those calcifications (p<0.01). Conclusion. According to our results, this technology is not appropriate for diagnosis of breast m icrocalcifications, but may be a promising communication digital mediu m for transmitting an image/report unit to referring physicians.