Factors Affecting the Diagnostic Reliability of Scintillation Camera Film Images

Abstract

Most scintillation camera data obtained in nuclear medicine clinics are displayed on Polaroid and/or 35- or 70-mm films. This allows little flexibility in data analysis without repeating the imaging procedure with different control settings. This study was designed to demonstrate that the subtle variations in field-uniformity response that appear on film and may easily be dismissed as negligible may indeed be clinically significant. Although a computer was employed in this study, measures can be taken to minimize the effect of field-uniformity variations on diagnosis even in clinics without direct computer support.