Your client hands you a CD from their MRI appointment. Maybe it has a label from the imaging center. Maybe it just says 'Patient Images.' Your first instinct might be to pop it in a drive and see what is on it. Here is why that instinct — while understandable — creates more problems than it solves.
What Is on the CD?
An MRI CD from a hospital or imaging center almost always contains DICOM files — the standard format for medical imaging data. The disc may also include a basic DICOM viewer application, a text file with patient information, and sometimes a PDF of the radiology report.
The DICOM files themselves contain the actual imaging data: hundreds or thousands of individual image slices organized into series, each with embedded patient metadata including name, date of birth, and scan date.
The Practical Problem: Most Computers Can't Read It
Modern laptops and many desktop computers no longer include optical disc drives. If your computer does not have a disc drive, you cannot access the CD at all without an external drive. Even if you have a drive, the viewer software on the disc is often outdated, Windows-only, and may not install or run on current operating systems.
If the viewer does run, you will be looking at raw DICOM slices in a basic viewer — not an organized, labeled image set suitable for litigation use.
The Compliance Problem: PHI on the Disc
The DICOM files on the disc contain protected health information embedded in the file metadata. Copying the disc, forwarding the files via email, or uploading them to a standard file-sharing service creates HIPAA compliance exposure. This is not a theoretical concern — it is a practical one that arises every time an attorney tries to send imaging files to an expert via regular email.
The Litigation Problem: Raw DICOM Is Not a Litigation Image Set
Even if you successfully open the DICOM files, what you have is raw imaging data — not a litigation-ready image set. A proper image set for deposition, mediation, or trial requires professional preparation: image selection per attorney or expert instructions, organization by series and sequence, quality printing or high-resolution file output, and labeling.
Attempting to print DICOM images from a basic viewer produces inconsistent, low-quality output that is not appropriate for expert review or courtroom use.
What to Do Instead
Preserve the original CD. Document receipt. Then work with a litigation imaging service to produce the image sets your matter requires. A professional service will provide secure transfer instructions, prepare images per your or your expert's instructions, and deliver organized sets — physical prints, digital files, or both — to the appropriate parties.
This is faster, more reliable, and more defensible than attempting to process DICOM files in-house.
Lightning Medical provides medical image reproduction and litigation-support services. Lightning Medical does not provide medical diagnoses, radiological interpretations, medical opinions, or legal advice.