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Spectral broadening in medical ultrasound refers to the widening of the Doppler spectrum, indicating a wider range of blood flow velocities. This artifact can complicate diagnosis as it may falsely suggest turbulent flow, even when actual blood flow is laminar. Factors contributing to spectral broadening include large sample volumes, suboptimal Doppler angles, and increased transducer…

The reverberation artifact in medical ultrasound manifests as multiple bright, parallel lines on the image. This common imaging distortion occurs when the ultrasound beam repeatedly bounces between two highly reflective, parallel surfaces within the body, such as air-filled structures or metallic objects. These repetitive reflections create spurious echoes that appear deeper than the actual structure,…

Noise artifact in medical ultrasound refers to random, unwanted echoes or signals that degrade image quality, appearing as a grainy or "snowy" appearance on the display. These distortions can obscure true anatomical structures and subtle pathologies, making accurate diagnosis challenging for sonographers. Common sources include electrical interference, patient movement, or inherent limitations of the ultrasound…

The comet-tail artifact in ultrasound is a specific type of reverberation artifact, appearing as a series of closely spaced, bright, linear echoes extending downward from a highly reflective object. This artifact is often seen when sound waves encounter small, highly reflective structures like cholesterol crystals in the gallbladder or gas bubbles, causing the sound to…

In medical ultrasound, a ring-down artifact appears as a continuous, bright, hyperechoic streak originating from a highly reflective interface. It's caused by the resonance of sound waves within a small, fluid-filled structure, such as gas bubbles or cholesterol crystals. This artifact is distinct from reverberation, characterized by its unbroken appearance and consistent brightness, offering crucial…

The edge artifact in medical ultrasound manifests as a dark, anechoic band or shadow that appears behind highly curved or highly reflective structures, such as blood vessel walls or organ capsules. This artifact is a result of sound beam refraction and destructive interference at the edges of these structures. It can sometimes obscure underlying anatomy,…

Side lobe artifacts are common distortions in medical ultrasound imaging, appearing as false echoes adjacent to strong reflectors. These occur because the transducer's main sound beam is accompanied by weaker "side lobes" that can pick up reflections from off-axis structures. While the main beam focuses energy, these unintended emissions can interact with highly reflective objects,…

A beam width artifact in medical ultrasound occurs when the finite width of the ultrasound beam averages echoes from structures both within and adjacent to the intended path. This can lead to the appearance of false echoes or the blurring of small structures, making accurate diagnosis challenging. It is particularly noticeable with cystic lesions, where…

Anisotropy in ultrasound refers to the phenomenon where the appearance of a tissue or structure changes depending on the angle of the ultrasound beam. This is a crucial "artifact" in medical imaging, often seen in fibrous tissues like tendons and ligaments. When the beam is not perpendicular to the tissue fibers, echoes may be diminished,…