What effect does increasing kilovoltage have on radiographic contrast?

Increasing kilovoltage (kV) primarily impacts the quality of the x-ray beam. A higher kilovoltage results in more penetrating power of the x-rays, which means that the beams can pass through tissues with greater ease. This increased penetration reduces the differences in density between various tissues or structures being imaged.

As a result, when kilovoltage is heightened, it generally leads to a decrease in radiographic contrast. This is because the increased penetration allows more x-rays to reach the image receptor, effectively leading to a more homogeneous image where distinctions between different types of tissue are less pronounced. In contrast imaging, lower kilovoltage produces greater contrast because it allows for more significant differences between the lighter and darker areas of the film or detector.