Dose exposures and images quality in mammography

It was shown that the highest quality of mammograms was achieved with the help of the technique of photographing without intensifying screens using tubes with Mo anode combined with Mo filters as diagnostic radiation sources. Superficial doses in the optimum choice of modes and conditions of the processing of photomaterials were 500-700 μC/kg (2-3 P). Photographs obtained with the help of apparatuses with W anode and aluminium filters in the screenless technique of photographing, were also of a good quality but much inferior in contrast to photographs obtained with the help of the Mo-Mo systems. The superficial doses characteristic of the W-Al systems, were 80-230 μC/kg (0.3-0.9 P). The intensifying screens made it possible to decrease dose exposures 10-20-fold, however the quality of imaging deteriorated: a considerable number of artefacts reminding one of multiple microcalcinates was observed; the characteristic sizes of distinguishible microcalcinates increased from 0.2 to 0.4 mm, the diameters of fibrous fibers from 0.5 up to 1.0 mm