What are sonographic artifacts?

Sonographic artifacts refer to misleading features in ultrasound images that do not accurately represent the underlying anatomy. These artifacts occur due to various factors, including the physics of ultrasound wave propagation, equipment settings, and interaction with tissues. Understanding artifacts is crucial for sonographers as they can potentially lead to misdiagnosis or misinterpretation of the ultrasound results.

When interpreting an ultrasound, it is essential to recognize these artifacts so they can be distinguished from actual anatomical structures or pathology, ensuring that the diagnostic process is accurate and effective. For instance, phenomena such as shadowing, enhancement, and reverberation can create misleading appearances on the image.

The other choices pertain to different concepts. Features that accurately represent underlying anatomy describe the ideal outcome of an ultrasound, while artifacts produced by equipment malfunction focus specifically on issues related to the machine itself, which may not always fall under the broader definition of sonographic artifacts. Errors in patient preparation might influence image quality but are distinct from the definition of artifacts, which are inherent to the imaging process itself.