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File-opening guide

My DICOM scan shows only one image: where are the other slices?

If a CT or CBCT import shows only one image, first check whether you selected one slice or a preview instead of the full series. One DICOM file can also hold multiple frames, so compare the displayed series and frame count with the clinic’s export rather than counting files alone.

By the Ossidex team · How we write and check these pages · Updated

Download on the App StoreFree to download · iPhone & iPad · iOS 17+

Four different reasons for one visible image

What you haveWhat it means
One file selected from hundredsYou may have imported only one single-frame slice. Select the whole image folder.
Scout, localizer, panorama or Gallery imageA separate 2D view may be valid but is not the reconstructed volume. Choose the intended series.
One multi-frame DICOM fileCan contain many frames. A single file is not automatically an incomplete scan.
Only one recovered image from an archiveThe import may be partial. Check archive warnings and obtain a complete download.

How to open the images

  1. Revisit the source selection. If the source contains many files, import their parent folder through + → Folder. For a ZIP, use Files / ZIP.
  2. Select the intended study and series. Look for the reconstructed CT or CBCT series rather than a report or overview image. Labels vary with the scanner and export.
  3. Scroll through the series. Verify that there are multiple images or frames when you expected a volume. The browser workflow begins with Open folder or Open files.
  4. Request the volume if absent. Ask for the complete reconstructed DICOM examination, not selected screenshots, Gallery images or only a panoramic reconstruction.

What to check if it still does not open

Not every examination is a volume: a panoramic radiograph or single X-ray may correctly contain one image. MPR also requires suitable spatial information; having multiple pictures is insufficient by itself.

Do not duplicate a slice to make a stack or infer missing slices from filenames. Preserve the source and ask the sender to confirm the exported series. If other series were intentionally excluded, obtain the intended export.

Viewer options and format limits

On a Mac, open the browser viewer and choose Open folder for the complete DICOM folder or Open files for a ZIP. Browser format and memory limits differ from the iPhone/iPad app; a successful import does not establish that the examination is complete.

See the matching format or export guide and tested samples and compatibility limits. Ossidex is a viewer and planning aid, not a diagnostic device.

Frequently asked questions

Should every CBCT export contain hundreds of files?

No. A multi-frame export can contain many slices inside one file. Check the images after import and ask the sender which export type was used.

Will converting a JPG into DICOM create a volume?

No. Wrapping one rendered image in a different format cannot reconstruct the missing source slices or geometry.

Sources

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