UTZ Artifacts

Ultrasound Artifact

A structure in an image that does not directly correlate with actual tissue being scanned.

Incorrect representations of anatomy or function.

What do ultrasound artifacts represent?

Not real, missing, misplaced, incorrect brightness, shape, or size.

What are the common characteristics of ultrasound artifacts?

Reverberation Artifact

What artifact appears as parallel, equally spaced lines due to repeated reflections?

Reverberation Artifact

a result of the presence of two or more strong reflecting surfaces.

Reverberation Artifact

The production of spurious (false) echoes due to repeated reflections

Reverberation Artifact

What is the “shotgun wound” appearance in ultrasound?

Comet Tail

A particular case of reverberation where two closely spaced surfaces generate a series of closely spaced, discrete echoes.

Pleural Line

From where do vertical comet-tail artifacts strictly arise?

Well-defined (laserlike) and hyperechoic

How are comet-tail artifacts described in appearance?

Calcified plaques, stiff breast lesions, stones.

Give examples of structures that cause acoustic shadowing.

Acoustic Shadowing

This appears as an area of low amplitude echoes(hypoechoic or anechoic) behind an area of strongly attenuating tissue.

Reduction in echo amplitude from reflectors lying behind a strongly reflecting or attenuating structure.

What does acoustic shadowing represent?