---
name: "gdcmclean"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "libgdcm-tools"
version: "3.0.24-5+b3"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/gdcmclean"
---

# gdcmclean(1)

Tool to clean a DICOM file.

## NAME

gdcmclean - Tool to clean a DICOM file.

## SYNOPSIS

```
gdcmclean [options] file-in file-out
gdcmclean [options] dir-in  dir-out
```

## DESCRIPTION

The **gdcmclean** tool is an cleaning tool.

## PARAMETERS

```
file-in   DICOM input filename
file-out  DICOM output filename
```

or

```
file-in   DICOM input directory
file-out  DICOM output directory
```

## OPTIONS

You need to :

### specific options

```
  -i --input                  DICOM filename / directory
  -o --output                 DICOM filename / directory
  -r --recursive              recursively process (sub-)directories.
     --continue               Do not stop when file found is not DICOM.
```

### Editing mode options

```
     --empty    %d,%d         DICOM tag(s) to empty
                %d,%d,%s      DICOM private tag(s) to empty
                %s            DICOM keyword/path(s) to empty
     --remove   %d,%d         DICOM tag(s) to remove
                %d,%d,%s      DICOM private tag(s) to remove
                %s            DICOM keyword/path(s) to remove
     --scrub    %d,%d         DICOM tag(s) to scrub
                %d,%d,%s      DICOM private tag(s) to scrub
                %s            DICOM keyword/path(s) to scrub
     --preserve %s            DICOM path(s) to preserve
     --preserve-missing-private-creator             Whether or not preserve private attributes with missing private creator.
     --preserve-group-length                        Whether or not preserve deprecated group length attributes (will not be re-computed).
     --preserve-illegal                             Whether or not preserve illegal attributes (eg. group 0003...).
```

### general options

```
  -h   --help
         print this help text and exit
  -v   --version
         print version information and exit
  -V   --verbose
         verbose mode (warning+error).
  -W   --warning
         warning mode, print warning information
  -E   --error
         error mode, print error information
  -D   --debug
         debug mode, print debug information
```

## TYPICAL USAGE

### Editing mode

This functionality is not described in the DICOM standard.

The following example shows how to use editing mode and achieve multiple operations at the same time:

• Preserve illegal attributes (removed by default),

• Empty any 'PN' attributes anywhere in the hierarchy tree, but preserve the DICOM attribute value only at location "0010,0010",

• Empty the tag (0010,0020) Patient ID, (only if keyword is know internally),

• Empty the tag (0070,0084),

• Remove the private attributes: (0029,20, SIEMENS MEDCOM HEADER) / (0033,02,MITRA OBJECT UTF8 ATTRIBUTES 1.0) / (0043,2a,GEMS\_PARM\_01). Since (0033,02,MITRA OBJECT UTF8 ATTRIBUTES 1.0) is defined internally in the private dictionary with Value Representation = PN, this attribute will be skipped (since redundant).

• Scrub the private attributes: (0029,10,SIEMENS CSA HEADER) / (0029,20,SIEMENS CSA HEADER) / (700d,08,TOSHIBA\_MEC\_MR3) / (0029,90,PMTF INFORMATION DATA)

```
$ gdcmclean \
    --recursive --continue \
    --preserve-illegal \
    --empty PN --preserve /0010,0010 \
    --empty PatientID --empty "0070,0084" \
    --remove "0029,20,SIEMENS MEDCOM HEADER" --remove "0033,02,MITRA OBJECT UTF8 ATTRIBUTES 1.0" --remove "0043,2a,GEMS_PARM_01" \
	--scrub "0029,10,SIEMENS CSA HEADER" --scrub "0029,20,SIEMENS CSA HEADER" \
	--scrub "700d,08,TOSHIBA_MEC_MR3" \
	--scrub "0029,90,PMTF INFORMATION DATA" --scrub "0029,90,TOSHIBA_MEC_MR3" \
    input_folder output_folder
```

### DICOM Path

For ease of use on shell command the syntax allow for the '/' separator in the DICOM Path notation. So the following is valid

```
"/0040,0100/1/0040,0006"
```

However Private Creator can use all of Value Representation LO definition. So in some case you will be required to use backslash as separator (since illegal in VR:LO):

```
"\\4109,2,Applicare/Centricity Radiology Web/Version 1.0"
```

### Safe Private Attributes

It is currently not possible to empty/remove any private attribute listed in the Safe Private Attributes table at:

**https://dicom.nema.org/medical/dicom/current/output/chtml/part15/sect\_E.3.10.html#table\_E.3.10-1**

## SEE ALSO

[**gdcmanon**(1)](/gdcmanon/1.md), [**gdcmdump**(1)](/gdcmdump/1.md), [**gdcmdiff**(1)](/gdcmdiff/1.md)

## AUTHOR

**Mathieu Malaterre**

Main developer

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2006, 2011 Mathieu Malaterre\