Which term describes the presence of metals in a patient during a CT study?

The presence of metals in a patient during a CT study is most accurately described by the term "streaking." In the context of CT imaging, streaking artifacts occur when dense materials, such as metals, interfere with the imaging process. These materials can create beam hardening effects, where the x-ray beams are attenuated differently as they pass through various tissues, leading to visual distortions in the resulting images. This phenomenon is particularly noticeable when imaging areas of the body that contain metallic implants, like surgical hardware or dental fillings, and can hinder the diagnostic quality of the images produced.

While artifacts is a broad term that can encompass a variety of imaging errors or distortions, streaking specifically refers to the linear attenuation patterns created by dense materials. Shadowing is often used to describe regions in imaging that appear darker due to overlying structures blocking or attenuating x-rays, which can result from the presence of metals but does not directly refer to the artifacts caused specifically by metals. Clarity does not pertain to imaging artifacts and is not associated with how the presence of metals affects CT imaging.