Streak Artifacts in Dynamic CT

Abstract

Experiments with a body phantom during dynamic CT scanning with the Somatom 2 CT scanner indicate that the periodic streak artifacts seen on the anterior part of the liver in patients are caused by peristalsis of the stomach and resulting motion of the air fluid level. Therefore, the attenuation values of the anterior portion of the liver artifactually oscillate around the baseline value during the dynamic series of scans. This artifact is produced by a change in the position of the stomach air fluid level and is dependent on the direction of tube rotation. The mean of the artifactually oscillating attenuation readings is close to the mean density but usually useless in dynamic CT because the attenuation values change so rapidly in the dynamic phase that averaging measurements also will cause errors.