Artifacts and pitfalls in pediatric head computed tomography: physics, principles, and clinical impact.

Pediatric head computed tomography (CT) presents unique geometric and patient-specific challenges that give rise to a wide range of imaging artifacts, some quite subtle, potentially obscuring anatomy or mimicking pathological patterns. To ensure accurate diagnosis, careful analysis of imaging techniques and knowledge of potential artifact mechanisms are critical. This review presents technical explanations and clinical examples of artifacts caused by acquisition parameters, patient characteristics, and scanner performance. Mitigation strategies are also discussed, providing insight into fundamental image reconstruction and corresponding appearance.