ABSTRACT
The discovery of X-rays by Röntgen over 100 years ago introduced a new way to visualize the interior of the human body. The radiographic image produced by the use of X-rays displayed a shadow of the
3-dimensional (3-D) structures within the body in the form of a 2-dimensional image (2-D). Since all 3-D information is lost to the physician by this approach, many attempts have been made to develop imaging techniques in which 3-D information within the body is preserved in a recorded image. The introduction of computed tomography (CT) in the early 1970s revolutionized diagnostic radiology, as 3-D information could be preserved and presented to the physician as a series of 2-D image slices of the body. In addition, computers became central in the processing and display of images used in radiology. The wide availability of true digital 3-D anatomical information stimulated the field of 3-D image processing and visualization for a variety of applications in diagnostic radiology.
