What type of compression is required when transmitting mammography images?

In the context of mammography image transmission, lossless compression is required to ensure that all diagnostic information is preserved. Mammography images contain subtle details that are crucial for accurate interpretation and diagnosis of breast pathology, and any loss of data could potentially lead to misdiagnosis.

Lossless compression allows the data to be reduced in size without losing any of the original image quality, making it possible to transmit images quickly while maintaining the integrity of the information. This is particularly important in medical imaging, where diagnostic accuracy hinges on the ability to view the image in its entirety, with all original details intact.

Other types of compression, such as lossy compression, would discard some data to reduce file size, which is not acceptable in a medical setting. Adaptive and differential compression methods may have specific applications but do not align as closely with the critical need for preserving complete image fidelity as lossless compression does in mammography.