What are the Advantages?
Because MRI can give such clear pictures
of soft-tissue structures near and around bones, it is the most sensitive exam for spinal and joint problems. MRI is widely used to diagnose sports-related injuries, especially those affecting the knee, shoulder, hip, elbow and wrist. The images allow the physician to see even very small tears and injuries to ligaments and muscles.
MR Angiography of the heart, aorta, coronary arteries and blood vessels is a fast, noninvasive tool for diagnosing coronary artery disease and heart problems. Physicians can examine the size and thickness of the chambers of the heart, and determine the extent of damage caused by a heart attack or progressive heart disease.
Organs of the chest and abdomen - including the lungs, liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas and abdominal vessels - can also be examined in high detail in MRI images, enabling the diagnosis and evaluation of tumors and functional disorders. MRI is growing in popularity as an alternative to traditional X-ray mammography in the early detection of suspected implant rupture.
MRI contrast material is less likely to produce an allergic reaction than the iodine-based materials used for conventional X-rays and CT scanning. Exposure to radiation is avoided.
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Metal and Electronic Implants
An MRI exam is safe, simple and painless. However, because some metal interferes with the MRI machine, a patient cannot be examined if he or she has:
- Brain aneurysm clips
- A pacemaker or pacing wires
- Metal fragments in one or both eyes
- Inner ear implants
- An implanted spinal cord stimulator or brain stimulator
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive diagnostic imaging test that uses a powerful magnetic field and low-energy radio waves to provide clear, detailed images of the body. MRI does not use X-rays.
