MR imaging artifacts. Challenges and solutions.

A wide variety of artifacts is routinely encountered on MR images. This article reviews the cause, appearance, diagnostic effect, and available remedies for the artifacts that are most frequently observed on MR images and are of greatest clinical significance. Combined with routine preventive maintenance of imaging equipment, consistent quality control, and appropriate selection of imaging parameters, awareness of the manifestations of these artifacts will allow image quality and diagnostic interpretation to be optimized.