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File-opening guide

DICOMDIR opens but shows no images: what to do

DICOMDIR is an index, so opening it without access to the image files can produce an empty result. Copy and select the whole disc folder, keeping the index beside the folders it references.

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

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

An index problem or missing image data?

What you haveWhat it means
Only a file named DICOMDIRThe directory was copied without its images. It cannot recreate missing pixel data.
Index beside DICOM, IMAGES or another image folderThe files may be present but outside the selection granted to the viewer. Folder names vary.
Renamed or flattened image foldersThe original references may no longer match. Restore the original directory layout when possible.

How to open the images

  1. Return to the original disc or download. Compare the copied folder with the source. Include every nested image folder, not just DICOMDIR.
  2. Select the common parent folder. In Ossidex use + then Folder. If the app offers Select a DICOM folder, use it to grant access to the complete copy.
  3. On Mac, use folder selection. Choose Open folder in the browser viewer. Selecting one index file does not give a browser permission to read all neighboring files.
  4. Check the imported examination. Open the study, select the intended series and scroll through its images. Compare the examination date and series with the clinic’s export. An image appearing on screen is not proof that every series arrived.

What to check if it still does not open

If only DICOMDIR was emailed, ask the sender for the complete study folder or a ZIP of it. Making a new empty DICOMDIR, renaming it to an image extension or converting it to PDF cannot recover the scan.

If the images are present but the index is stale, import the complete image folder so the viewer can inspect the files. If that also fails, report the exact import message and whether image files were found. An index can also reference objects that are not a CT or MR image stack.

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

Is a small DICOMDIR file suspicious?

Not by itself. It is an index, and the image data is stored in separate files. The useful check is whether those files were also supplied.

Should I delete DICOMDIR?

Keep the original. Selecting the whole folder is usually sufficient; deleting the index does not fix missing images.

Sources

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