Heart

Artifacts and pitfalls are an important part of cardiac imaging, particularly due to the continuous cardiac motion and multiple unique problems related to electrocardiography (ECG) gating. The field of cardiac imaging is constantly advancing with new technologies, particularly in regard to computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). New imaging techniques represent potential sources of image artifacts and pitfalls, especially for less experienced interpreters. These problems may be related to the patient (inappropriate positioning, body habitus, motion, heart rate and rhythm, implanted devices), the scanner (ECG gating, radiofrequency transmitter/receiver coils, CT detectors, photomultiplier tubes, misregistration, attenuation correction), the imaging processing/post processing (step artifact, aliasing, chemical shift), or the surrounding environment (magnetic field inhomogeneity). Examples of common artifacts and pitfalls related to cardiac imaging, with focus on CT, MRI, and nuclear imaging, are reviewed and discussed.