Mach effect

Mach bands or the Mach effect refers to an optical phenomenon from edge enhancement due to lateral inhibition of the retina . This is an inbuilt edge enhancement mechanism of the retina, where the edges of darker objects next to lighter objects will appear lighter and vice versa, creating a false shadow .

This has been attributed as a source of diagnostic error in radiology:

Knowledge of the phenomenon may help prevent Mach bands being mistaken for a true abnormality such as pneumomediastinum.

History and etymology
