Chest MRI

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

MRI scans

Vertebra, thoracic (mid back)

Overview

Risks

Results

Chest MRI

Alternative Names:

Nuclear magnetic resonance - chest; Magnetic resonance imaging - chest; NMR - chest; MRI of the thorax

What the risks are:

There is no ionizing radiation involved in MRI, and there have been no documented significant side effects of the magnetic fields and radio waves used on the human body to date.

However, because the effects of strong magnetic fields on a fetus are not well documented at this time, pregnant women are usually advised to avoid MRI scans.

The most common MR intravenous contrast agent, gadolinium, is very safe, and although there have been documented allergic reactions to it, it is an extremely rare occurrence.

If sedation is used, there are associated risks of over-sedation. The technologist monitors the patient's vital signs, including heart rate and respiration as needed.

People have been harmed in MRI machines when they did not remove metal objects from their clothes or when metal objects were left in the room by others.

Special considerations:

MRI is more accurate than CT scan or other tests for certain conditions, but less accurate for others. The disadvantages include the high cost, long duration of the scan, and sensitivity to movement. People with claustrophobia, or who are confused or anxious, may have difficulty lying still for the relatively long scan times.

MRI is not portable and is incompatible with some metallic implants, life support-devices, traction apparatus, and similar equipment.

MRI is a superior technique in most cases where differentiation of soft tissues is necessary. It can show organs without obstruction by bone and foreign bodies. It is capable of showing the tissues from multiple viewpoints and is a noninvasive way to evaluate blood flow. Currently, MRI is not valuable in the evaluation of subtle changes of the lung tissue, since the lungs contain mostly air and are difficult to image.

Review Date: 11/3/2004
Reviewed By: Jeffrey J. Brown, MD FACR, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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