Ghost images are produced when imaging which side?

• A. The same side
• B. When the patient moves
• C. When the receptor is misaligned
• D. The opposite side

Answer: (B)

Ghost images come from motion during exposure. When the patient moves, the structures being imaged don’t stay in the same position while the X-ray beam is transmitting and the image is recorded. This can create a faint second projection of the same anatomy that appears on the opposite side of the image, like a ghost. That’s why movement during the exposure is the best explanation for ghost images. If the patient stays still, you’d mainly see blur or misalignment artifacts, not a true ghost image on the opposite side.