What is a ghost image, and in which imaging mode is it most commonly a concern?

What is a ghost image, and in which imaging mode is it most commonly a concern?

• A. Ghost image is an artifact caused by faulty detector readout.
• B. Ghost image is residual image from a prior exposure seen on a subsequent plate (CR) if erasure is incomplete or in delayed processing.
• C. Ghost image is a computational artifact produced by automatic contrast enhancement.
• D. Ghost image is a misregistered image between two exposures.

Answer: (B)

A ghost image is a residual image from a prior exposure that shows up on a subsequent radiograph. In computed radiography, the imaging plate stores the previous exposure as phosphor energy. After the image is read, the plate must be erased with bright light; if this erasure is incomplete or processing is delayed, the stored image from the earlier exposure can persist and appear as a ghost on the new image, often in the same region. This is why ghost images are particularly a concern in CR imaging modes, where reusable plates require a proper erasure cycle. In other imaging modalities, such as film-screen or direct digital radiography, ghosting is much less typical because there isn’t a reusable latent image to retain. To prevent it, ensure complete erasure of the plate and timely processing before reuse.

A ghost image is a residual image from a prior exposure that shows up on a subsequent radiograph. In computed radiography, the imaging plate stores the previous exposure as phosphor energy. After the image is read, the plate must be erased with bright light; if this erasure is incomplete or processing is delayed, the stored image from the earlier exposure can persist and appear as a ghost on the new image, often in the same region. This is why ghost images are particularly a concern in CR imaging modes, where reusable plates require a proper erasure cycle. In other imaging modalities, such as film-screen or direct digital radiography, ghosting is much less typical because there isn’t a reusable latent image to retain. To prevent it, ensure complete erasure of the plate and timely processing before reuse.