Question 1

Are my scans uploaded to be displayed?

Accepted Answer

No. The files are read and decoded by the page on your own computer - dicom-parser reads the structure, and the compressed images are unpacked by codecs that run in the browser. Nothing about the scan, or the name and date of birth inside it, leaves your machine.

Question 2

Does the saved picture include my name?

Accepted Answer

No. Save .png writes only the image itself. The name, date of birth and study details in the corners are drawn over the picture on screen, not into it - but a screenshot would catch them, which is what Hide patient details is for.

Question 3

Why does a scan look too dark or washed out?

Accepted Answer

A CT or MRI holds far more shades than a screen can show, so a viewer has to pick which range to spread across black to white. The file usually suggests one; Auto contrast uses it. Dragging on the image changes it, Full range shows everything at once, and the CT windows are the settings radiologists use for lung, bone, brain and soft tissue.

Question 4

Can it read every DICOM file?

Accepted Answer

Most of what is on a patient disc, yes. The exceptions are 12-bit extended JPEG, an older compression now rarely used, and files with no DICOM header that are also big-endian. For those the details and tags still show, and the page says why the picture does not. Structured reports and radiotherapy plans have no image at all, so only their tags are shown.

Question 5

Can I use it for a diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

No. It is for looking at your own images, not a medical device, and it has no measurement tools. Any question about what a scan shows is one for the radiologist’s report or your doctor.

Free DICOM viewer online