Which artifact is described as horizontal enhancement or banding at focal zones due to improper brightness?

Which artifact is described as horizontal enhancement or banding at focal zones due to improper brightness?

• A. Focal Banding
• B. Ring Down
• C. Comet Tail
• D. Side Lobes

Answer: (A)

Horizontal bands at the depth where the beam is focused are called focal banding. It happens when brightness, or gain, is set improperly at the focal zone, causing horizontal enhancement that shows up as bands across the image at that depth. This artifact is all about the display brightness at the focus, not about the tissue structure. Focal banding is the best match because the description specifically mentions horizontal enhancement or banding tied to the focal zones due to improper brightness. The other artifacts have different causes: ring-down appears as a series of echoes from gas bubbles and isn’t tied to the focal brightness, comet tail results from reverberations near a highly reflective object, and side lobes come from off-axis echoes outside the main beam. To reduce focal banding, adjust the brightness/gain or the depth-dependent compensation (TGC) and avoid concentrating brightness at the focal depth.

Horizontal bands at the depth where the beam is focused are called focal banding. It happens when brightness, or gain, is set improperly at the focal zone, causing horizontal enhancement that shows up as bands across the image at that depth. This artifact is all about the display brightness at the focus, not about the tissue structure.

Focal banding is the best match because the description specifically mentions horizontal enhancement or banding tied to the focal zones due to improper brightness. The other artifacts have different causes: ring-down appears as a series of echoes from gas bubbles and isn’t tied to the focal brightness, comet tail results from reverberations near a highly reflective object, and side lobes come from off-axis echoes outside the main beam. To reduce focal banding, adjust the brightness/gain or the depth-dependent compensation (TGC) and avoid concentrating brightness at the focal depth.