cerebrospinal fluid pulsation artifact

Full Definition

Cerebrospinal fluid pulsation artifacts result from the cardiac-driven pulsatile motion of CSF within the ventricular system and subarachnoid spaces during MRI acquisition. These artifacts manifest as ghosting or repetitive signal patterns projected along the phase-encoding direction, potentially obscuring pathology in adjacent brain regions. The artifacts are most prominent on T2-weighted sequences and can be minimized through cardiac gating, flow compensation techniques, or reorientation of imaging planes.

Usage

Usage note: Specify location and severity when documenting; may require sequence modification.

In Context

• "Cerebrospinal fluid pulsation artifacts limited evaluation of the posterior fossa structures on this non-gated sequence." — Technical imaging note
• "The study was repeated with cardiac gating to eliminate CSF pulsation artifacts affecting the brainstem assessment." — Quality control report