What is the effect of spatial compounding on image quality?

• A. Reduces speckle and improves contrast
• B. Increases speckle
• C. Decreases frame rate without improving image
• D. Only affects lateral resolution

Answer: (A)

Spatial compounding works by combining images acquired from different beam angles. Since speckle is a random interference pattern that changes with angle, averaging these angles reduces the speckle noise and enhances the contrast between structures, making boundaries clearer. You gain better lesion conspicuity and overall image quality because the multiple perspectives cancel out much of the grainy texture. While there can be a trade-off with frame rate since more data are collected for a single image, the resulting image quality is improved. It’s not limited to lateral resolution; the primary benefit is reduced speckle and better contrast, with broader improvements in image clarity.