DICOM Attribute

Laterality (0020,0060)

Keyword
Laterality
VR
CS
VM
1

Definition

Laterality of (paired) body part examined. Required if the body part examined is a paired structure and Image Laterality (0020,0062) or Frame Laterality (0020,9072) or Measurement Laterality (0024,0113) are not present. Enumerated Values: R right L left Some IODs support Image Laterality (0020,0062) at the Image level or Frame Laterality (0020,9072) at the Frame level in the Frame Anatomy Functional Group Macro or Measurement Laterality (0024,0113) at the Measurement level, which can provide a more comprehensive mechanism for specifying the laterality of the body part(s) being examined. There is no value for both left and right, for which Image Laterality (0020,0062) at the Image level or Frame Laterality (0020,9072) may be used instead. There is no value for median, for which Primary Anatomic Structure Modifier Sequence (0008,2230) or Anatomic Region Modifier Sequence (0008,2220) may be used instead.

From NEMA PS3.3 §C.7.3.1.

Attribute Metadata

Tag
(0020,0060)
Keyword
Laterality
Name
Laterality
Value Representation (VR)
CS
Value Multiplicity (VM)
1
Status
Active
Source
NEMA PS3.6 (table_6-1)

This attribute is part of the current DICOM Standard. Its value representation is CS with multiplicity 1.

Used in 3 Modules

This attribute uses the CS Value Representation. Multiplicity 1 governs how many values may be encoded.

Integration Notes

Real-world integration guidance for engineers implementing this attribute in Mirth Connect, FHIR gateways, HL7 v2 bridges, and cloud DICOM services. Authoritative source data where available; reference examples and operational notes where they add value.

FHIR Mapping

  • ImagingStudy.series.laterality (0020,0060)

Source: HL7 FHIR R5 ImagingStudy (CC0).

HL7 v2 Equivalent

No standard HL7 v2 equivalent published for this attribute. Imaging-only attributes (Image Pixel data, technical acquisition parameters, modality-specific values) typically have no HL7 v2 carrier.

Cloud DICOM Support

AWS HealthImaging, Azure DICOM, and GCP Healthcare DICOM coverage rolls out by attribute. The QIDO-RS matching keys + Patient/Study/Series core (~50 attributes) are documented; lower-traffic attributes will be added as Saga teams encounter them in production.

Real-World Sample Values

No representative sample value available — this attribute isn't present in the de-identified pydicom fixture set. Add a fixture covering this attribute to expand coverage.

Mirth Connect Example

JavaScript transformer snippets for the most-queried tags will be added as coverage expands.

Common Operational Errors

Operational error patterns for the most-queried tags will be added as coverage expands.

DICOM Integration Services

Saga IT builds production DICOM integrations across Mirth Connect, FHIR gateways, and cloud imaging platforms. If you're working with Laterality or the broader (0020,0060) context: