Artifacts in radiography obscure desired information and are caused by a variety of sources. Screen-film artifacts include exposure artifacts from issues like motion or improper positioning, as well as processing artifacts from problems in the darkroom. Digital artifacts stem from pixel failures, improper settings, or backscatter. Both modalities' artifacts can be reduced by identifying their causes and optimizing technique and quality control procedures.

1. ARTIFACTS IN
RADIOGRAPHY AND
ITS REMEDIES
Niroj Sandha
B.Sc.MIT 1st year
NAMS, Bir Hospital

2. Contents
■ INTRODUCTION
■ Screen film Radiographic Artifact
■ Remedies
■ Digital Radiographic Artifacts
■ Remedies

3. What is Artifact?
■ Artifacts are any extraneous images that obscure the
desired information, and come from a variety of causes .
■ Eg;- removable objects on or in the patient such as
hairpins, dentures, jewelry, casts and orthopedic devices,
objects in the patient’s pockets, snaps on hospital gowns,
IV tubes, respiratory equipment,
■ It is an irregularity on an image that is not caused by the
proper shadowing of tissues.
■ Can be controlled when their cause is identified.

4. Screen film Radiographic Artifacts
Exposure Artifacts
• Motion
• Improper patient
position
• Wrong screen film
match
• Poor screen contact
• Double exposure
• Wrapped cassette
• Improper grid
position
Processing Artifacts
• Emulsion pickoff
• Gelatin buildup
• Curtain effect
• Chemical fog
• Guide-shoe mark
• Pi-lines
• Wet pressure
sensitization
• Dichronic fog
Handling and storage
• light fog
• Radiation fog
• Static
• Kink marks
• Hyporetention stain
• Scratches

5. Exposure Artifact
■ Associated with the manner in which radiographer conducts
the examination
• Motion
• Improper patient position
• Wrong screen film match
• Poor screen contact
• Double exposure
• Wrapped cassette
• Improper grid position

6. Motion Artifact

7. Improper patient position

8. Wrong screen film match
spectral matching is recommended

9. Double exposure

10. Improper grid position
change in density across
the PA chest x-ray
Upon inspection of the
imaging room, it was
found the upright grid
was turned upside down

11. Processing Artifacts
■ Mostly caused during film processing i.e by transport
system
■ Can be eliminated with a proper processor QC program and
frequent cleaning
• Emulsion pickoff
• Gelatin buildup
• Curtain effect
• Chemical fog
• Guide-shoe mark
• Pi-lines
• Wet pressure sensitization
• Dichronic fog

12. Roller Marks
■ Occurs when guide shoes are
improperly positioned

13. Guide shoe marks

14. Water stain

15. PI Lines
Occur at 3.1416-inch
intervals

16. Emulsion pickoff
■ Caused by pulling stuck
films apart

17. Dichronic fog
Due to mixing of
developer with fixer

18. Handling and storage artifacts
■ Caused by improper film storage conditions
■ may be due to ;-
• increase in temperature or humidity
• Expose to radiation
• Pressure marks
• Static
• Hyporetention

19. Light or Radiation fog

20. Pressure Artifacts

21. Static Artifacts
Build up of electrons in emulsion.
crown, tree and smudge
appearance

22. Hyporetention
Due to build up of residual
thiosulfate appearing yellow on
prolong storage.

23. Digital Radiographic Artifacts
■ Associated with Pixel failure
Image Receptor
Artifacts
• Dust, dirt, scratches
• Pixel malfunction
• Ghost image
Software Artifacts
• Range/scaling
• Image compression
Object Artifact
• Patient position
• Collimator/partition
• Back scatter

24. Dust , dirt, scratches

25. Pixel malfunction / Dead pixel

26. Ghost image

27. References
• Radiologic.Science.for.Technologists.Physics.Biology.and.
Protection.10th edition (BUSHONG)
• Radiopedia.com
• Slideshare.net