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| | | | |  |  | General information about MRI examinations | | |
Usually a special surface coil that receives the MRI signal surrounds the examined body part. In some cases, to avoid blurring by body movement like breathing or heartbeat, the patient has to hold the breath for some seconds and/or the technologist may position an ECG.
After positioning of the patient, the technologist will operate the MRI machine from an adjacent room, a friend or a parent, can stay into the scanning room during the MRI scan. The patient is able to communicate with the operator using a two-way intercom. The MRI exam will usually take 15 to 45 minutes, during this time the patient have to remain still, to get the clearest possible pictures. An injection of contrast agent is given as needed to enhance the visibility of pathologic tissues or blood vessels.
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| |  | Brain MRI | | | In the case of a Brain MRI scan, only the head is scanned, and the largest part of the body is outside the MRI machine. The patient is placed on the scanner table and a special surface coil that picks up the signal of the different types of brain tissue, is positioned around the upper part of the head.
MRI is the most advanced type of diagnostic imaging for brain tumors, strokes, and chronic disorders of the central nervous system such as multiple sclerosis. The high sensitivity of MRI, combined with three dimensional viewing, differentiates the gray and white matter of the brain, detects e.g., brain abnormalities, dementia, diseases of the pituitary gland, of the eyes, and the inner ear.
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| | | Spine MRI | | | In the case of a Spine MRI scan, usually the patient is positioned on the back on a special surface coil that lies on the scanner table and picks up the signal of the spine tissue. Bolsters or cushions are used to maintain proper positioning and to make the exam as comfortable as possible. Advanced MRI scanners allow also scanning in different positions.
MRI is a very sensitive method to detect abnormalities, injuries, and diseases in the spinal region and to differentiate fatty tissue, cerebrospinal fluid, the intervertebral disks, bone, cartilage, and nerve tissue. One of the most common reasons for spinal MRI is to detect a degenerated, bulging, or slipped intervertebral disk. Subtle changes of the spine tissues, the vertebral column, the spinal cord, and intervertebral discs may be detected in an early stage of infection, tumor and other masses. The procedure may be better than CT scanning (aside from vertebral fracture detection) and requires no exposure to radiation.
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| | | Body MRI | | | MRI enables the diagnosis and evaluation of tumors and functional disorders in organs of the whole body, for example the chest, heart, breast, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, pelvis and bladder.
Cardiac MRI shows the structure, the size, and thickness of the chambers of the heart, the function of the heart muscles, valves, and vessels and is helpful to detect the buildup of plaque and blockages in the blood vessels.
MRI of the extremities gives detailed pictures of anatomical structures and soft tissues near and around bones, tendons, cartilage, bone, synovial fluid, and surrounding muscle and is the most sensitive exam for joint problems like degenerative diseases and sports-related injuries, especially those affecting the knee, hip, shoulder, and wrist. Patients for hip and knee scans will normally be asked to lie flat on the scanner table. Depending on the MRI device, knee patients may be able to sit up slightly. Wrist, shoulder and elbow scan positions vary, some patients may be asked to lie face downwards, diagonal or on their side.
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| | | MR Angiography | | | Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) is a method of looking at the arteries and veins within the body.The MRA techniques promise arterial disease management, improve diagnostic accuracy, and reduce the number of diagnostic invasive catheter angiographies.
Some scans are able to show flow in the vessels without using any contrast agent injections. For this method, there is no difference for the patient to other MRI procedures. For scans of the aorta and arteries supplying the lungs, kidneys, or other organs and limbs a small injection is usually given.
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