X-ray artifacts
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Artifacts can present in a variety of ways including abnormal shadow noted on a radiograph or degraded image quality and have been produced by artificial means from hardware failure, operator error and software (post-processing) artifacts.
There are common and distinct artifacts for film, computed and digital radiography.
Common causes
- improper handling of the films
- errors while processing the films
- patient movement while taking the
shotimage
Common artifacts (film and computed/digital radiography)
- motion artifact
- due to patient movement resulting in a distorted image
- image compositing (or twin/double exposure)
- superimposition of two structures from different locations due to double exposure of same film/plate
- grid cut-off
-
radio-opaqueradiopaque objects on or external to the patient (e.g. necklaces, piercing, buttons, hair,(e.g. pony tail, hair braids etc.).
Film radiography artifacts
- finger marks
- improper handling with hands
- clear film
- malfunction of the machine or placing the film in the fixer before developer solution
- static electricity
- black “lightning” marks resulting from films forcibly unwrapped or excessive flexing of the film
- crescent-shaped black lines
- due to fingernail pressure on the film
- crescent-shaped white lines
- due to cracked intensifying screen
- black film
- complete exposure to light.
- clear spots
- air bubbles sticking to film during processing
- fixer splashed on film prior to developing
- dirt on the intensifying screen
Computed/digital radiography artifacts
- detector image lag or ghosting
- latent image from previous exposure present on current exposure
- incorrect detector orientation i.e. upside-down cassette
- spoke like
radio-opaqueradiopaque lines (case 6)
- spoke like
- backscatter
- increased radiation exposure required for portable DR (digital radiography) examinations
- stitching artifacts
- occur when two separate DR or CR (computed radiography) images are merged into a single image (see case 3)
- over exposure
- dead pixel artifact
-<li>patient movement while taking the shot</li>- +<li>patient movement while taking the image</li>
-<li>motion artifact<ul><li>due patient movement resulting in a distorted image</li></ul>- +<li>motion artifact<ul><li>due to patient movement resulting in a distorted image</li></ul>
-<li>radio-opaque objects on or external to the patient (e.g. necklaces, piercing, buttons, hair, pony tail)</li>- +<li>radiopaque objects on or external to the patient (e.g. necklaces, piercing, buttons, hair (e.g. pony tail, hair braids etc.).</li>
-<li>clear film<ul><li>malfunction of the machine or placing the film in fixer before developer solution</li></ul>- +<li>clear film<ul><li>malfunction of the machine or placing the film in the fixer before developer solution</li></ul>
-<li>incorrect detector orientation i.e. upside-down cassette<ul><li>spoke like radio-opaque lines (case 6)</li></ul>- +<li>incorrect detector orientation i.e. upside-down cassette<ul><li>spoke like radiopaque lines (case 6)</li></ul>
-<li>backscatter<ul><li>increased radiation exposure required for portable DR examinations</li></ul>- +<li>backscatter<ul><li>increased radiation exposure required for portable DR (digital radiography) examinations</li></ul>
-<li>stitching artifacts<ul><li>occur when two separate DR or CR images are merged into a single image (see case 3)</li></ul>- +<li>stitching artifacts<ul><li>occur when two separate DR or CR (computed radiography) images are merged into a single image (see case 3)</li></ul>
-<li><a title="dead pixel artifact" href="/articles/dead-pixel-artifact">dead pixel artifact</a></li>- +<li><a href="/articles/dead-pixel-artifact">dead pixel artifact</a></li>
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