Computed Tomography Technologist Practice Exam 2025 – All-in-One Guide for Exam Success!

A partial volume artifact occurs when a dense object is located at the edge of the field of view, leading to shading effects in the resulting images. This happens because the imaging system averages the attenuation coefficients of the tissues within a voxel, and when a voxel includes both dense and less dense materials, the overall measurement may not accurately represent either material. As a result, the image can exhibit misleading contrast and detail in the areas near the boundary of the dense object.

In this context, options describing motion during a scan, incorrect collimation settings, and insufficient data acquisition refer to different types of artifacts. Motion artifact results from patient movement and can lead to blurring. Incorrect collimation can produce a range of artifacts, but it is not specifically related to the averaging effect seen in a partial volume artifact. Insufficient data acquisition can result in a variety of artifacts, particularly related to image quality, but they do not specifically pertain to the partial volume effect associated with dense objects near the field of view's edge.