Artifact (medical imaging)

Artifacts are misrepresentations of tissue structures seen in medical images produced by modalities such as Ultrasonography, X-ray Computed Tomography, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging. These artifacts are caused by a variety of mechanisms, such as:

• The underlying physics of the energy-tissue interaction (ie: Ultrasound-air)
• Data acquisition errors (mostly from patient motion)
• A reconstruction algorithm's inability to represent the anatomy.

Additional recommended knowledge

Daily Visual Balance Check

Don't let static charges disrupt your weighing accuracy

Weighing the right way

Physicians learn to recognize these artifacts to avoid confusing them with real pathology.

See also

• Artifact (observational)