An increase in reflection amplitudes from reflectors behind a weakly attenuating structure is known as:

The phenomenon described involves an increase in reflection amplitudes from structures located behind a weakly attenuating medium, which is known as acoustic enhancement. This effect occurs because the weakly attenuating material allows more of the ultrasound waves to pass through, resulting in stronger echoes from reflectors situated behind it. As the ultrasound waves travel through a less dense medium, they experience less loss of energy, leading to brighter appearances on the sonogram.

Acoustic enhancement is often observed in areas such as the bladder or urine-filled structures, where the surrounding tissue may be of lower attenuation compared to the fluid within. This results in higher amplitude reflections from structures that follow after the fluid, creating an appearance of increased echogenicity.

Comet tail artifact generally refers to a specific type of reverberation artifact caused by closely spaced reflectors leading to multiple echoes. Shadowing occurs when a strong reflector completely blocks ultrasound waves, resulting in a decreased amplitude of echoes posterior to it. Slice thickness artifact is related to the thickness of the ultrasound beam, which can cause unexpected echoes when structures of varying echogenicity are in the beam's path. Understanding these distinct phenomena helps to clarify the specific nature of acoustic enhancement in ultrasound imaging.