Effects of processing conditions on mammographic image quality

Rationale and Objectives. Any given mammographic film will exhibit changes in sensitometric response and image resolution as processing variables are altered. Developer type, immersion time, and temperature have been shown to affect the contrast of the mammographic image and thus lesion visibility. The authors evaluated the effect of altering processing variables, includin g film type, developer type, and immersion time, on the visibility of masse s, fibrils, and specks in a standard mammographic phantom. Materials and Methods, Images of a phantom obtained with two screen types ( Kodak Min-R and Fuji) and five film types (Kodak Min-R M, Min-R E, Min-R H: Fuji UM-MB HC, and DuPont Microvision-C) were processed with five differen t developer chemicals (Autex SE, DuPont HSD. Kodak RP, Picker 3-7-90, and W hite Mountain) at four different immersion times (24, 30. 36. and 36 second s). Processor chemical activity was monitored with sensitometric strips, an d developer temperatures were continuously measured. The film images were r eviewed by two board-certified radiologists and two physicists with experti se in mammography quality control and were scored based on the visibility o f calcifications, masses, and fibrils. Results. Although the differences in the absolute scores were not large, th e Kodak Min-R M and Fuji films exhibited the highest scores, and images dev eloped in White Mountain and Autex chemicals exhibited the highest scores. Conclusion. For any film, several processing chemicals may be used to produ ce images of similar quality. Extended processing may no longer be necessar y.