Which artifact consists of equally spaced reflections with depth, due to waves bouncing between two strong reflectors, appearing ladder-like parallel to the beam?

• A. Reverberation
• B. Scattering
• C. Shadowing
• D. Signal to Noise Ratio

Answer: (A)

Reverberation occurs when the ultrasound pulse keeps bouncing between two strong reflectors. Each bounce sends back another echo, and because the distance between those two reflectors stays the same, the echoes return at regular time intervals. In the image, that repeating time delay translates into equally spaced reflections in depth, producing a ladder-like pattern that runs parallel to the beam. This is exactly the appearance described: multiple, evenly spaced lines away from the surface, like rungs of a ladder.

Scattering would produce a more random, speckled texture rather than uniform, evenly spaced lines. Shadowing shows up as a dark band beyond a very strong absorber, not a series of parallel echoes. Signal-to-noise ratio concerns overall image quality rather than a repeating geometric pattern of reflections.