8 Echo Artifact Mistakes Every Sonographer Should Avoid

Part 2: Understanding Dropout, Aliasing, and Doppler Pitfalls

In the first part of this series, we explored common artifact categories in echocardiography, including reflection, reverberation, attenuation, and refraction. These artifacts form the foundation for understanding how ultrasound physics can create misleading images if not recognized.

In this second part, we will continue with artifacts that are equally important for both clinical scanning and board preparation. We’ll begin with dropout artifact, a frequent source of false diagnoses in thin structures, and then move into other beam geometry and resolution-based artifacts, as well as Doppler-related artifacts.

By the end of this section, you’ll have a complete framework for identifying all major artifact types, understanding their underlying physics, and applying practical tips to differentiate artifact from true pathology.

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Hidden in that clip were 8 artifacts every echo pro should know. Some were obvious… others, surprisingly tricky. Lets break them down!