Usefulness of Digital Radiography in the Diagnosis of the Early Esophageal Cancer

Digital radiography (DR) has many additional functions compared to the conventional film with intensifying screen system (CFSS) and is superior to CFSS especially in detecting early esophageal cancer that is difficult to find in the field of alimentary tract radiographic examinations. First of all, real time visualization enables us to observe a lesion, its nature and surround area during examination, and contributes to improved detectability and decreased failure rate. Continuous photographing helps to take pictures without loosing best timing of photographing and with various wall expansion and attachment of contrast medium. Moreover, the amount of radiation may be reduced and image may be sharper with shorter exposure time. And image processing increases detectability of the lesions. In the future, when the problems of the DR such as three dimensional resolving power, dynamic range and noise are improved, DR may develop new radiologie diagnosis of the early esophageal cancer.