Computed Tomography Technologist Practice Exam

Increasing pitch in computed tomography refers to the relationship between the table movement and the beam width during a helical CT scan. When pitch is increased, it means that the table moves further with each rotation of the X-ray tube in relation to the width of the X-ray beam. This results in fewer overlapping images being acquired as the spiral is less tight. As a consequence, while a higher pitch allows for faster scans and potentially better coverage of larger areas in a shorter time, it compromises the amount of data collected and can cause a loss in the detail captured in each image. This increase in the table movement relative to the beam width means that fewer image slices are generated, or that slices may be spaced further apart, which can result in a lower axial resolution. For detailed structures or smaller lesions, this reduction in data can lead to a decrease in clarity and an inability to clearly delineate between adjacent structures, thus reducing the overall image resolution. In summary, the correct understanding is that increasing pitch reduces resolution due to less data being obtained, making it more challenging to achieve sharp, detailed images, especially in complex anatomical situations.