The Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard helps to represent, store, and exchange healthcare images and other data. Its file format and communication protocol for pathology have been defined but adoption by all stakeholders in the field is pending. This work discusses the essential aspects of the standard, its capabilities and limitations in a multisite multivendor healthcare system in Whole Slicing Image (WSI) procedures. DICOM develops over time, follows the rigors of new clinical demands and technologies to conciliate new software with legacy systems.
