CHAPTER 17

IMAGE ARTIFACTS

Artifacts Patient Preparation

 Undesirable optical densities or blemishes  Essential for producing artifact-free images
on a radiograph
 Any irregularity on an image that is not Exposure artifacts are usually easy to detect
caused by the proper shadowing of tissue by and correct!
the primary beam
Processing Artifacts
ARTIFACT CLASSIFICATION  Any artifacts produced during processing
Handling &  Pressure-Type Artifacts: most common
Processing Exposure o Sensitized the emulsion
Storage
Artifacts Artifacts o Appearance: higher OD
Artifacts
Emulsion pick o Scraped or removed emulsion
Motion Light fog o Appearance: lower OD
off
Gelatin build Improper  Prevention:
Radiation fog
up patient position o Proper processor QC
Wrong screen- o Frequent cleaning
Curtain effect Static
film match
Poor screen COMMON PROCESSING ARTIFACTS
Chemical fog Kink marks
contact Appearance on the
Guide-shoe Double Cause
Hypo retention Radiograph
marks exposure Improper position or
Warped Guide shoe marks springing of guide shoes
Pi lines Scratches
cassette in turnaround assembly
Wet pressure Improper grid Dirt or chemical stains
sensitization position Pi lines
on rollers
Dichroic stain Dirty or warped rollers,
Sharp increase or
which can leave sludge
decrease in OD
Exposure Artifacts deposits on film
 Associated with the manner in which the Improper or inadequate
Uniform dull, gray fog
radiographer conducts the examination processing chemistry
 Prevention: Dichroic stain or
Improper squeezing of
o Proper patient preparation “Curtain effect”
processing chemicals
o Proper patient instruction from film
Small circular patterns Pressure caused by
COMMON EXPOSURE ARTIFACTS of increased in OD irregular or dirty rollers
Appearance on the Yellow-brown drops on
Cause Oxidized developer
Radiograph film
Unexpected foreign Improper patient Milky appearance Underreplenished fixer
object such as jewelry preparation Greasy appearance Inadequate washing
Reuse of cassettes Improper dryer
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Double exposure Brittle appearance temperature or hardener

already exposed
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Improper patient in the fixer

Blur movement, including
breathing
Improper patient
Grid cutoff artifacts
position
Obscured detail Poor screen film contact
STEWART C. BUSHONG
Roller Marks
 Guide Shoe Marks
o Caused By: sprung or improperly
positioned guide shoe
SUMMARIZED BY: MEYNARD Y. CASTRO
 CHAPTER 17
IMAGE ARTIFACTS

o Found on leading edge or trailing Handling & Storage Artifacts

edge of the film  An artifacts caused by improper handling &
o Parallel to film direction storage of film
 Pi Lines  Prevention: proper facility design
o Caused By: dirt or chemical stain on  Image Fog
a roller which sensitize the emulsion o Caused by:
o Occur at 3.1416 intervals  High temperature or humidity
o Perpendicular to film direction  Film bin is not shielded
adequately from radiation
Dirty Rollers  Pressure Marks
 Emulsion Pick-Off & Gelatin Build Up o Caused by:
o Caused By: dirty or warped rollers  Film is stacked too high
o Appearance: sharp areas of increased
or reduced OD COMMON HANDLING & STORAGE
ARTIFACTS
Chemical Fog Appearance on
 It looks like light or radiation fog Cause
the Radiograph
 Appearance: uniform dull gray The temperature or humidity
 Dichroic Stain is too high
o Appearance: curtain effect The film bin is inadequately
o Caused By: improper or inadequate shielded from radiation
processing chemistry The safelight is too bright, is
Fog
too close to the processing
Dichroic Stain tray, or has an improper filter
 A term that is generally applied to all The film has been left in the
chemical stains x-ray room during other
exposure
Curtain Effect The film is improperly or
 The chemistry may not be squeezed properly Pressure or kink roughly handled.
form the film & it either runs down the marks The film is stacked too high in
leading edge of the film or runs up the storage
trailing edge Streaks of The darkroom cassette has
increased OD light leaks
Wet-Pressure Sensitization Crown, tree, & The temperature or humidity
 A common artifact that is produced in the smudge static is too low.
developer tank Thiosulfate is left on the film
Yellow-brown
 Appearance: small circular patterns of stains
because of inadequate
increased OD washing
 Caused By: irregular or dirty rollers
o Cause pressure during development Light or Radiation Fog
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 Appearance: streaklike artifacts of increased

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Bizarre Artifacts OD
 Processing artifacts in Digital Radiography  Caused By: white-light leaks in the
 Caused By: image processing errors darkroom or within the cassette

STEWART C. BUSHONG SUMMARIZED BY: MEYNARD Y. CASTRO

 CHAPTER 17
IMAGE ARTIFACTS

Kink Marks
 Caused By: rough handling before
processing
 Appearance: increased OD

Static
 The most obvious artifact
 Caused By: buildup of electron in the
emulsion
 Three Distinct Pattern: crown, tree &
smudge

Hypo Retention
 Appearance: yellow brown
 Caused By: inadequate washing
 Silver sulfide slowly builds up & appears
yellow on the radiograph

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STEWART C. BUSHONG SUMMARIZED BY: MEYNARD Y. CASTRO