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Why is a pitch greater than 1 not ideal for a CT examination?
It results in excessive image noise
It may cause misses in pathology due to increased space between slices
It can lead to increased radiation exposure
It compromises spatial resolution
The correct answer is: It may cause misses in pathology due to increased space between slices
A pitch greater than 1 in a CT examination indicates that the table moves further than the width of the beam during each rotation of the scanner. This results in greater spacing between the slices of the imaged area. When slices are spaced too far apart, there is a risk of missing pathology that may be located in the gaps between the slices. This is particularly critical in regions where small, subtle lesions might otherwise be detected if the slices were closer together. Therefore, having a pitch greater than 1 can lead to an increased likelihood of missing important diagnostic information, thereby affecting the quality of the diagnostic output from the CT exam. In contrast, a pitch of 1 ensures that adjacent slices overlap or adequately cover the area of interest, thereby improving the chances of detecting pathology.