Patents can unintended respond with an idiosyncratic reaction to the application of contrast media. Idiosyncratic reactions to contrast agents start usually within 20 minutes after injection and occur more frequently in patients 20 to 40 years old.
Idiosyncratic reactions may or may not be dependent on the amount of dose injected, the speed of injection, the mode of injection and the radiographic procedure.


See also Adverse Reaction and Anaphylactoid Reaction.

An image is the digitized visual representation of a document, form, picture or graphic.

Image quality is an important value of all radiographic imaging procedures. Accurate measures of both image quality and patient radiation risk are needed for effective optimization of diagnostic imaging. Images are acquired for specific purposes, and the result depends on how well this task is performed. The imaging performance is mainly influenced by the imaging procedure, examined object, contrast agents, imaging system, electronic data processing, display, maintenance and the operator. Spatial resolution (sharpness), contrast resolution and sensitivity, artifacts and noise are indicators of image quality.
A high image contrast provides the discrimination between tissues of different densities.
The image resolution states the distinct visibility of linear structures, masses and calcifications.
Noise and artifacts degrade the image quality. In computed tomography (CT), high spatial resolution improves the visibility of small details, but results in increased noise. Increased noise reduces the low contrast detectability. Noise can be reduced by the use of large voxels, increased radiation dose, or an additional smoothing filter, but this type of filter increases blurring.
An image acquisition technique taking these facts into account maximizes the received information content and minimizes the radiation risk or keeps it at a low level.

See also As Low As Reasonably Achievable.

Image resolution is a measurement of the scanned, printed, or displayed image quality. Picture resolution on a printed photo or page is measured in dots per inch (DPI). For digital files, image resolution is expressed in pixels per inch (PPI).
The quality of pixel-based images is directly determined by resolution choices. Higher image resolution results in more detailed images but requires more storage space in a picture archiving and communication system.
The resolution for x-ray images can be defined as the period length of the finest grid that can be viewed without difficulty.

An imaginary number is a part of a complex number. Complex numbers are an extension of the real numbers. A complex number has a real and an imaginary part. The imaginary unit (i) is equal to the square root of -1. The complex conjugate is a pair of complex numbers with identical real parts and imaginary parts which differ only in sign (e.g.: 3 + 7i and 3 - 7i).