Artifacts

An artifact is anything that is displayed on the image that does not truly represent the underlying anatomy.

There are many artifacts in ultrasound.  Some may cause confusion, such as "mirror-image artifact".  Others, like "enhancement" can be very helpful.   A good sonographer must have a strong understanding of ultrasound artifacts and know how to avoid the confusing ones and take advantage of the helpful ones. 

Below are three videos on grayscale artifacts and one on Doppler artifacts that will help you master this important topic.