Photographic Subtraction Technique Step 3 - in the darkroom the mask-series film

combination is placed in contact with the emulsion side

Introduced by Ziedses des Plantes, a technique by which of the sheet of subtraction print film, which then
bone structure images are subtracted, or cancelled out, exposed for approximately 5 sec to light
from a film of the bones plus opacified vessels, leaving
an unobscured image of the vessels Light Exposure

Mask film
Series film
First Order Subtraction Unexposed film

- Zero Film or base or control film – shows bony Final image

structures only, no patient motion must be present in
Vessels are not cancelled because they are only present
this film. Zero film is exposed just before contrast
medium is injected into vessels in one film, the one containing the contrast medium.

- Series film – contains image post injection of contrast

material Second Order Subtraction
- Reversal film – also called positive mask or diapositive Step 1 – in a darkroom the nonemulsion side of the
mask, reverse-tone duplicate of x-ray image, showing sheet of subtraction mask film is placed in contact with
black changed to white and white to black the zero film and is exposed for approximately 5
- Registration - matching of one image over another so seconds to light
Light Exposure
that bony landmarks are precisely superimposed
Zero film

Unexposed film

Step 1 - in a darkroom the nonemulsion side of the

Diapositive mask
sheet of subtraction mask film is placed in contact with
the zero film and is exposed for approximately 5 Step 2 – on a light box the diapositive mask is carefully
seconds to light registered with the zero film.
Light Exposure
Zero Film
Zero film Diapositive mask
Unexposed film

Step 3 – in the darkroom the zero-reversal mask film

Diapositive mask combination is placed in contact with the emulsion side
of a sheet of subtraction mask film and is exposed for
approximately 20 sec to light. This produces a secondary
-Diapositive mask image, bones become lucent
mask. This produces a faint radiographic image that
Step 2 - on a light box, the mask is carefully registered corrects the small photographic mistake between the
over the selected series film and taped securely first two.
together Light Exposure

Zero film
Mask film
Diapositive Mask
Series film
Unexposed Film
Unexposed film

Secondary Mask
 Light Exposure
Step 4 – on a light box the series film and the mask is Series film
carefully registered and taped securely. To this the
Unexposed Film
secondary mask is carefully registered and taped.
Series Reversal Film
Series film
Diapositive mask
Secondary Mask
Unexposed Film
Step 3 – on a light box the series reversal film is carefully
registered with the zero film.
Step 5 - in the darkroom the series film-mask-secondary
Series Reversal film
mask combination is placed in contact with the
emulsion side of a sheet of subtraction print film and is Zero Film

exposed for approximately 35 sec to light.

Light Exposure Step 4 – in the darkroom the zero-series reversal film
Series film combination is placed in contact with the emulsion side
Diapositive mask of a sheet of subtraction mask film and is exposed for
approximately 20 sec to light. This produces a secondary
Secondary Mask
mask.
Unexposed Film Light Exposure
Zero film
Final Image
Series Reversal film
Unexposed film

Secondary Mask
Composite-Mask Subtraction procedure – Sucher and
Strand 1974 – or white-over-white technique
Step 5 - on a light box the series film and the mask is
Similar to second-order subtraction technique, the only carefully registered and taped securely. To this the
difference is composite-mask subtraction technique secondary mask is carefully registered and taped.
reverses the series film instead of registering the mask
Series film
and the mask reversal to create a secondary mask
Diapositive mask
Step 1 - in a darkroom the nonemulsion side of the Secondary Mask
sheet of subtraction mask film is placed in contact with Step 6 - in the darkroom the series film-mask-secondary
the zero film and is exposed for approximately 5 mask combination is placed in contact with the
seconds to light emulsion side of a sheet of subtraction print film and is
Light Exposure
exposed for approximately 35 sec to light.
Zero Film Light Exposure
Unexposed Film Series film
Diapositive mask
Diapositive Mask Secondary mask
Step 2 – in the darkroom the emulsion side of a sheet of Unexposed film
subtraction mask film is placed in contact with the
selected angiographic series film, which is then exposed Final image
for 5 sec to light. This produces the series reversal film.