Fact or Artifact in Two-Dimensional Echocardiography: Avoiding Misdiagnosis and Missed Diagnosis

Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography is the most widely used noninvasive imaging modality for the evaluation and diagnosis of cardiac pathology. However, because of the physical properties of ultrasound waves and specifics in ultrasound image reconstruction, cardiologists are often confronted with ultrasound image artifacts. It is particularly important to recognize such artifacts in order to avoid misdiagnosis of conditions ranging from aortic dissection to thrombosis and endocarditis. This overview article summarizes the most common image artifacts encountered in routine clinical practice, along with explanations of their physical mechanisms and guidance in avoiding their misinterpretation.