Artifacts caused by cosmetics in MR imaging of the head

• Published in: American journal of roentgenology (1976) Vol. 148; no. 5; pp. 1001 - 1004
• Main Authors: Sacco, DC, Steiger, DA, Bellon, EM, Coleman, PE, Haacke, EM
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Leesburg, VA Am Roentgen Ray Soc 01-05-1987; American Roentgen Ray Society
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cosmetics; Ferric Compounds; Head - anatomy & histology; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy - methods; Medical sciences; Orbit - anatomy & histology; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology. Orbit; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Cosmetic; Human; Eye; Eye disease; Brain (Vertebrata); Artefact; Orbit(eye); Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging
• ISSN: 0361-803X; 1546-3141
• DOI: 10.2214/ajr.148.5.1001

Cosmetics can produce severe distortion of the orbital contents in MR imaging. This distortion, typical of compounds that exhibit a permanent magnetic moment, results from iron oxide in the pigments used to produce dark shades of makeup. In general, the artifact created by cosmetics does not interfere with interpreting routine head scans. However, if the orbital contents are the subject of clinical concern, the images may then be rendered nondiagnostic. The artifact created by the makeup is propagated along the frequency-encoding axis of the images.