MRI Images Provides
the Best Look inside the Body
Orthopedic imaging capabilities
MRI offers the best of all imaging modalities because of its superior contrast differentiation between muscle, fat, vessels, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, cortical bone, and marrow bone space. MRI displays excellent delineation of soft tissue and bony tumors and is extremely useful in detecting avascular necrosis of bone, particularly of the hip. High-resolution knee imaging techniques provide unparalleled detail of the menisci, ligaments, and cruciates.
MRI is very well suited for the evaluation of ligaments, muscle, and bony abnormalities of the shoulder without the need for painful invasive procedures. MRI demonstrates similar advantages in imaging other complex anatomy, such as the elbow, wrist, foot, and ankle, due to its multiplanar imaging capability, its sensitivity to soft tissue and bone disease processes, and its ability to identify dislocations and fractures.
Neurological imaging capabilities
MRI of the brain has surpassed CT in the detection of disease processes due to its sensitivity and excellent presentation of contrast between various anatomical structures. Compared to CT, MR studies of the posterior fossa are more well-defined because MRI is not subject to bone artifacts that obscure lesions, particularly to those in the cerebellar-pontine region. Complex imaging planes are possible which, for example, allow direct imaging of the optic nerve and its tracts through the orbital apex and beyond the optic chiasm.
MRI of the spine provides more diagnostic information for evaluation of primary or metastatic tumors of the spinal cord. MR imaging of other important anatomical structures of the spinal cord such as the nerve and nerve roots, neural foramina, ligaments, and disc spaces is further enhanced by exceptional resolution and contrast without bone artifacts.
Using orthogonal and oblique slice planes, along with various selections of tissue contrast, MR provides a highly effective alternative to X-ray myelography and the risks associated with intrathecal contrast injections.
Vascular imaging capabilities
MR angiography (MRA), the noninvasive MR imaging method used to assess vascular conditions, has been proven effective in the evaluation of vascular disease without the discomfort and the risk associated with using iodinated contrast agents and catheters used in conventional angiography. It has been found to be instrumental in the evaluation of acute vascular processes and acute head trauma for which the earliest and most accurate diagnosis is crucial.
Other imaging capabilities
Facial/Neck
Superb soft tissue detail consistently demonstrated by MRI allows for enhanced evaluation of facial and neck structures. Presurgical and preradiation treatment planning and follow-up are enhanced by MRI’s ability to delineate anatomical boundaries. In addition, it is easy to determine both size and extension of lesions in the face and neck area. MRI also excels in the ability to determine vascular from nonvascular anatomy without the risk associated with iodinated contrast agent use.
Abdomen/Pelvis
MRI of the liver offers unmatched sensitivity to pathology compared to CT in the detection of primary and metastatic liver tumors. Abdominal MRI has been improved to provide faster imaging techniques, allowing imaging within a single breathhold. MRI also provides high-resolution imaging of the adrenals, kidneys, pancreas, and spleen for diagnosis of tumors, infections, and other vascular anomalies.
MRI of the pelvis and genitourinary system offers the advantages of improved soft tissue discrimination and absence of bone artifacts. Also, MRI provides for safe imaging of the reproductive region of adults, as well as children, without the use of ionizing radiation.
Chest/Cardiac
Chest anatomy inherently offers contrast well-suited for MRI of structures such as fat, muscle, lung and flowing blood. Cardiac gating techniques provide motion-free imaging for diagnosis of vascular, as well as nonvascular, pathology by capturing the images at the same point throughout the cardiac cycle. A variation of this technique enables cardiac structures to be obtained in a cine format for evaluation of the dynamics of blood flow, cardiac valves, and cardiac wall motion.
Dual-angle oblique capabilities, along with pulse sequences designed to accentuate flowing blood, allow imaging of the cardiac chambers in the long and short axis. MRI is also beneficial for evaluation of the thymus and disease processes of the thoracic inlet, due to the lack of bone artifacts typically associated with CT scanning.
