DCM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM))

A DCM file is an image file format developed over a long period of time for the storage of medical-related images. The format was first released in the 1980s and has been adapted and improved since to cater for ever-evolving healthcare requirements.

The format is primarily used to store medical images such as CT scans, X-rays, MRIs, and more. A single DCM file may contain many individual images along with medical-related metadata such as patient information. The individual images may be stored as raw bitmap data or compressed JPEG data.