System and method for preparing spatially related medical digital image data sets for image compression and storage prior to image reconstruction. The system and method exploit the similarities between spatially adjacent digital image data sets to reduce the amount of data to be compressed and stored. The spatially adjacent digital image data sets correspond to a plurality of spatially contiguous digital image data sets acquired over, for example, a current anatomical portion of a patient using a medical imaging modality or, for example, a current portion of a man-made structure or a current portion of a geological feature using an imaging modality.