Image Artifacts: Appearances, Causes, and Corrections

Image artifact is a complicated subject, and there are many ways to explore this topic. We take the approach of first categorizing artifacts based on their appearances, using our knowledge of the CT operation and reconstruction. We then discuss image artifacts in terms of their origins and root causes: system-design choices, limitations of the x-ray tube and detector, inherent variations in patients, and, finally, suboptimal use of the scanner.