  The large-scale (~ 20') diffuse x-ray background surrounding a sample of
quasars observed during ROSAT PSPC pointed observations is studied using a new
source-detection algorithm, the scaling-index method. This algorithm, which can
identify individual photons as belonging to a source or background, is useful
for detecting faint, extended sources in noisy fields. Using this method, we
find that, contrary to conclusions drawn by others, there is scant evidence for
preferential enhancement of x-ray backgrounds surrounding radio-loud quasars by
foreground x-ray emitting clusters of galaxies. Rather, all fluctuations in
these backgrounds can be explained by varying levels of emission from a
galactic thermal plasma of temperature T ~ 0.14 keV. No difference is observed
between the diffuse x-ray backgrounds of radio-loud and radio-quiet quasars.
