Digital radiography of the chest in pediatric patients

The hopes placed in digital radiography have been fulfilled only partly in pediatric radiology. Specifically, the option of gaining reduced radiation exposure in combination with a similar or even improved image quality was hard to realize. The only portable digital system available fora long time were storage phosphors which were disadvantaged by an extremely limited close-quantum-efficiency (DQE) in comparison to digital flat panel detectors. New developments and the introduction of the dual-reading system led to image qualities comparable to film-screen-systems with high resolution and achievable without dose increase, sometimes even with dose reduction. A study using an animal model suggests that these systems can even be used in preterm infants with very low birth weights. A new portable flat panel detector by Canon may improve digital chest radiography in pediatric patients.