Computed Tomography Technologist Practice Exam

In multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), the concept of image thickness refers to the reconstructed image's effective thickness, which may vary based on the imaging parameters and algorithms used during the data reconstruction process.

When considering image thickness in relation to slice thickness, it is important to recognize that while slice thickness refers specifically to the physical width of the acquired slices, image thickness can be adjusted through various reconstruction settings. This means that the reconstructed images can be synthesized from multiple overlapping slices, which allows for a greater effective thickness in the final images compared to the original slice thickness.

Ultimately, image thickness can indeed be greater than the slice thickness because of the re-sampling and interpolation techniques applied during reconstruction, resulting in smoother images with improved quality and detail. This flexibility is an important feature of MDCT, allowing radiologists to optimize image quality for diagnostic purposes.