Which of the following can lead to increased susceptibility artifacts?

Increased susceptibility artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are primarily caused by variations in magnetic susceptibility between different tissues, particularly at interfaces where there is a significant difference in magnetic properties. Tissue-air interfaces are prime examples of these variations. For instance, when there is a boundary between air (which has very low magnetic susceptibility) and soft tissue (which has a higher magnetic susceptibility), this can create magnetic field inhomogeneities. These inhomogeneities can result in misregistration of the signal, leading to artifacts in the resulting images.

While the other options can influence image quality and potentially contribute to artifacts in other ways, they do not directly relate to increased susceptibility in the same manner. Using a higher flip angle can improve signal strength but doesn’t inherently cause more susceptibility artifacts. Lower bandwidth settings can lead to chemical shift artifacts but are not specifically tied to susceptibility. The type of contrast agent used can enhance certain signals, but again, it isn’t a primary factor in creating susceptibility artifacts linked to tissue interfaces. Therefore, it is the tissue-air interfaces that are most directly involved in creating pronounced susceptibility artifacts.