[Xeroradiography. Technic, methodology, and image characteristics].

Xeroradiography is a new technique employing the photoconductive property of an amorphous metalloid: selenium. The conventional radiographic film is replaced by a selenium plate which, during exposure to x-rays, loses its electrostatic charge in a manner directly proportional to the density of the body structure examined. The latent electrostatic image can then be transferred and fixed on a sheet of plastified paper. The technique presents incontestable advantages, particularly in respect of the richness of detail obtained, and the possibility of demonstrating structures with very different densities in the same image. Currently, however, certain technical limitations, such as the low density of the selenium plate which requires increased doses of the rays administered, prevents xeroradiography from being considered as a total substitute for conventional radiography.