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# Viewing Images

How to use other packages with pydicom to view DICOM images

## Introduction

pydicom is mainly concerned with getting at the DICOM data elements in files, but it is often desirable to view pixel data as an image. There are several options:

> - Use any of the many DICOM viewer programs available
> - use pydicom with matplotlib
> - use pydicom with Tkinter (comes standard with python)
> - use pydicom with the Python Imaging Library (PIL)
> - use pydicom with wxPython

## Using pydicom with matplotlib

matplotlib is available at http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/. It can take 2-d image information from `Dataset.pixel_array` and display it. Here is an example:

    >>> import dicom
    >>> import pylab
    >>> ds=dicom.read_file("CT_small.dcm")
    >>> pylab.imshow(ds.pixel_array, cmap=pylab.cm.bone)
    <matplotlib.image.AxesImage object at 0x0162A530>
    >>> pylab.show()
    >>>

Thanks to Roy Keyes for pointing out how to do this.

## Using pydicom with Tkinter

The program pydicom_Tkinter.py in the `contrib` folder demonstrates how to show an image using the Tkinter graphics system, which comes standard with most python installs. It creates a Tkinter PhotoImage in a Label widget or a user-supplied widget.

## Using pydicom with Python Imaging Library (PIL)

The module pydicom_PIL.py in the `contrib` folder uses PIL’s `Image.show()` method after creating an Image instance from the pixel data and some basic information about it (bit depth, LUTs, etc)

## Using pydicom with wxPython

The module imViewer-Simple.py in the `contrib` folder uses wxPython (also PIL, but it notes that it may not be strictly necessary) to display an image from a pydicom dataset.

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