Which artifact might be encountered when imaging the aortic arch in the suprasternal notch view?

Reverberation artifact is commonly encountered when imaging structures such as the aortic arch, particularly in the suprasternal notch view. This artifact occurs due to the reflection of ultrasound waves between two strong reflectors, such as the aortic wall and the transducer, leading to multiple echoes being displayed.

In the suprasternal notch view, the proximity of the aorta to the sternum and the surrounding structures can create conditions conducive to reverberation artifacts, which may appear as multiple, equally spaced echoes on the ultrasound image. This phenomenon can obscure important anatomical details and misrepresent the actual structure being imaged.

On the contrary, the other artifacts mentioned have distinct characteristics and scenarios of occurrence. Comet tail artifacts are generally seen in the presence of small gas bubbles or microbubbles within tissues, shadowing artifacts arise from highly attenuating structures that block the ultrasound beam, and aliasing artifacts typically occur in Doppler ultrasound when the velocity of blood flow exceeds the Nyquist limit, causing a wrap-around effect in the velocity display. Each of these artifacts pertains to specific situations and mechanisms unrelated to the imaging of the aortic arch in this context.