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- MRI of the brain and spinal cord
- MRI of the heart and arteries
- MRI of abdomen
- MRI of bones and joints
- MRI of the breasts
- Who is not eligible for an MRI?
- MRI Procedure
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a diagnostic imaging technology that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to generate and visualize high-resolution 3D images of your internal organs and soft tissues to pinpoint the causes of your illness. It is painless and can produce detailed images of the soft tissue layers. It can diagnose different body organs, such as the brain and nervous system, providing more detailed images than a CT scan.
MRI of the brain and spinal cord
These scans are the most common MRIs because they can help diagnose serious illnesses such as stroke, brain tumors, brain injury, spinal cord disorders, eye and inner ear disorders, cerebral aneurysms, and multiple sclerosis. Before brain surgery, your doctor may order a brain functional MRI (fMRI) to create detailed images of its anatomy and blood supplies and examine and map the brain regions linked to critical functions such as speech and locomotion. This diagnostic modality can assess the effects of head injury, epilepsy, or Alzheimer's disease.
MRI of the heart and arteries
The cardiac MRI can delineate the four cardiac chambers' views and function, heart wall thickness and contraction, aortic structural disorders, inflammatory arteries, and coronary heart disease or heart attack damage.
MRI of abdomen
It can detect tumors and anomalies of internal organs such as kidneys, spleen, liver, bile ducts, pancreas, prostate, uterus, and ovaries.
MRI of bones and joints
MRI can detect and locate infections in the bone, spinal disk problems, joint disorders from repetitive motion injuries, and bone or soft tissue tumors.
MRI of the breasts
Together with a mammogram, it can effectively detect breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue.
Who is not eligible for an MRI?
- If you have metallic implants or electronic devices in your body, you may not be able to undergo MRI, which employs high magnetic field strength. The ferromagnetic metal can interact with the magnetic field, cause physical injury hazards, and degrade and distort the scanned images. Some of the metal-containing devices that can create significant interference are:
- A pacemaker
- Prosthetic heart valves
- Metallic joint implants
- Implanted drug infusion pumps
- Implanted neurostimulators
- Cochlear implants
- Intrauterine device
- A bullet or shrapnel
- Metal clips, pins, screws, plates, stents, and surgical staples
- If you have tattoos, permanent eyebrows, or oral micro-pigmentation, you cannot undergo an MRI scan due to the metal particles in the pigmentation, which can interfere with the image acquisition
- You have preexisting liver or kidney problems, which may restrict contrast injection.
MRI Procedure
Before the MRI Procedure
There is no diet or medicine restriction unless directed by your doctor. You will change into a hospital gown. You should remove personal belongings such as jewelry, hairpins, dentures, underwire bras, hearing aids, watches, wigs, eyeglasses, or even cosmetics containing metals. Inform healthcare providers if you experience claustrophobia so they can administer a sedative-hypnotic drug to alleviate anxiety.
During the MRI Procedure
You will lie supine on a mobile table in a long tube with both ends open. Then, the table will slide into the tube. A strong magnetic field is created around you while the MRI machine painlessly directs radio waves at your body to create 3D images of your internal organs. The procedure takes around 15 minutes to more than 60 minutes. It is important to stay still because your motion can affect the quality of the images. An IV contrast media such as gadolinium may be injected into a vein in your hand or arm to improve the contrast of the images.
During the scan, you may hear a tapping sound produced by the MRI machine; use the provided earplugs to block the thumping noise. You can communicate with a technologist, who monitors you in another room via a microphone.
If you have a functional MRI, the technician may ask you to answer questions or perform certain activities, such as finger tapping to activate the part of your brain that controls those actions.
After the MRI Procedure
You can resume regular activities, such as driving right after the MRI exams when you did not take sedative-hypnotic medicines. Your MRI images will be analyzed and interpreted by a trained radiologist and reported to your doctor. Your doctor will review the results with you and plan proper treatment if required.
