/usr/bin/dcm2xml

$dcmtk: dcm2xml v3.7.1 2026-10-15 $

dcm2xml: Convert DICOM file and data set to XML
usage: dcm2xml [options] dcmfile-in [xmlfile-out]

parameters:
  dcmfile-in                    DICOM input filename to be converted
                                ("-" for stdin)
  xmlfile-out                   XML output filename (default: stdout)

general options:
  -h      --help                print this help text and exit
          --version             print version information and exit
          --arguments           print expanded command line arguments
  -q      --quiet               quiet mode, print no warnings and errors
  -v      --verbose             verbose mode, print processing details
  -d      --debug               debug mode, print debug information
  -ll     --log-level           [l]evel: string constant
                                (fatal, error, warn, info, debug, trace)
                                use level l for the logger
  -lc     --log-config          [f]ilename: string
                                use config file f for the logger
input options:
  input file format:
    +f    --read-file           read file format or data set (default)
    +fo   --read-file-only      read file format only
    -f    --read-dataset        read data set without file meta information
  input transfer syntax:
    -t=   --read-xfer-auto      use TS recognition (default)
    -td   --read-xfer-detect    ignore TS specified in the file meta header
    -te   --read-xfer-little    read with explicit VR little endian TS
    -tb   --read-xfer-big       read with explicit VR big endian TS
    -ti   --read-xfer-implicit  read with implicit VR little endian TS
  long tag values:
    +M    --load-all            load very long tag values (e.g. pixel data)
    -M    --load-short          do not load very long values (default)
    +R    --max-read-length     [k]bytes: integer (4..4194302, default: 4)
                                set threshold for long values to k kbytes
processing options:
  specific character set:
    +Cr   --charset-require     require declaration of extended charset (def.)
    +Ca   --charset-assume      [c]harset: string
                                assume charset c if no extended charset declared
    +Cc   --charset-check-all   check all data elements with string values
                                (default: only PN, LO, LT, SH, ST, UC and UT)
    +U8   --convert-to-utf8     convert all element values that are affected
                                by Specific Character Set (0008,0005) to UTF-8
output options:
  general XML format:
    -dtk  --dcmtk-format        output in DCMTK-specific format (default)
    -nat  --native-format       output in Native DICOM Model format (part 19)
    +Xn   --use-xml-namespace   add XML namespace declaration to root element
  DCMTK-specific format (not with --native-format):
    +Xd   --add-dtd-reference   add reference to document type definition (DTD)
    +Xe   --embed-dtd-content   embed document type definition into XML document
    +Xf   --use-dtd-file        [f]ilename: string
                                use specified DTD file (only with +Xe)
                                (default: /usr/share/dcmtk-3.7.1/dcm2xml.dtd)
    +Wn   --write-element-name  write name of the DICOM data elements (default)
    -Wn   --no-element-name     do not write name of the DICOM data elements
    +Wb   --write-binary-data   write binary data of OB and OW elements
                                (default: off, be careful with --load-all)
  encoding of binary data:
    +Eh   --encode-hex          encode binary data as hex numbers
                                (default for DCMTK-specific format)
    +Eu   --encode-uuid         encode binary data as a UUID reference
                                (default for Native DICOM Model)
    +Eb   --encode-base64       encode binary data as Base64 (RFC 2045, MIME)