What are common types of artifacts seen in CT imaging?

Beam hardening, motion artifacts, and metal artifacts represent common issues encountered in CT imaging due to the physics of X-ray production and the processing of data.

Beam hardening occurs as X-rays pass through a patient with varied tissue density; lower-energy photons are absorbed more than higher-energy photons. This results in an increase in the average energy of the X-ray beam as it progresses through denser tissues, which can lead to dark streaks or bands appearing in the images.

Motion artifacts are a direct consequence of patient movement during the scanning process. Since CT imaging relies on capturing numerous slices in a short amount of time, any motion—whether from respiration, heartbeats, or voluntary movement—can cause blurring or misalignment of the captured data, affecting the clarity and diagnostic quality of the images.

Metal artifacts arise when metallic objects, such as surgical clips, dental work, or even orthopedic implants, are present in the scanned area. The high density and atomic number of metals lead to significant differences in attenuation, which can create streaking or shading artifacts, obscuring surrounding structures and complicating interpretation.

Understanding these artifact types is crucial for optimal image quality in CT imaging, improving diagnostic capabilities, and ensuring accurate assessments. Other options mention artifacts not typically encountered