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MRI Scan
An MRI scan is a radiological investigation used to assess soft tissue structures in the body. It is a particular and precise imaging scan for all parts of the body. MRI scans find use in every branch of medicine to discern the anatomical cause of a disease or pathology.
MRI scans give a detailed picture of the body part in a completely safe and noninvasive way. The machine generates magnetic fields and radio waves that interact with the body tissues to generate an image of their anatomy. There is no risk to health with the use of an MRI scan for imaging.
What are the different types of MRI scans?
MRI can be of several different types because of the properties of the images it generates.
1.T1 weighted Image: It gives excellent details of the tissue structures in the MRI.
2.T2 weighted Image: It generates images that highlight the distribution of water in the tissues.
- Functional Brain MRI: As the name suggests, it tracks brain activity based on blood oxygen consumption in the brain.
- Magnetic Resonance Angiography: It uses contrasts to highlight blood vessel anomalies like aneurysms, ruptures, and blocks.
- Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy: It shows the interaction of the magnetic waves with some specific brain molecules and thus helps in tracking diseases.
- Magnetic Resonance Echocardiography: It is used to assess the state of the bile duct system. It helps in diagnosing conditions such as gallstones, duct atresia, and so on.
- Diffusion-weighted MRI tracks water movement in tissues like the brain to trace haemorrhages and strokes.
These techniques can be used to take an MRI of any body part, like the brain, knee, orbit, abdomen, pelvis, shoulder joint, ear, and so on.
Benefits of an MRI Scan:
The following are some of the known benefits of MRI scans:
- Safe: MRI scans use magnetic fields and radio waves to create an image. These are nonionizing waves that do not pose any kind of danger to the body.
- Non-Invasive: There is no use of any kind of invasive procedure like time placements, cuts, and so on.
- MRI gives an in-depth picture of the tissues in the body and can diagnose the smallest of lesions with precision in terms of size and location.
- It can be used for a variety of diseases, even in a single part or organ of the body.
- It can also be used to do functional studies of organs like the brain, which are not seen in other radiological investigations like CT and X-rays.
6. An MRI can be very helpful for studying a diseased area before surgery and thus helping plan treatments.
Frequently Asked
MRI scans have a wide range of applications as compared to other scans.
- It is completely noninvasive and safe, as only magnetic and radio waves are used to create scan images, unlike in CTS and X-ray, where ionising radiation is used.
- An MRI gives detailed soft tissue images not seen with X-rays and CT scans.
- MRI can also help see the functioning of the brain and therefore help in functional studies.
- You can easily use contrast to see the blood flow through organs and the perfusion of blood in various organs.
- It is safer for cases where repeat investigations are required. In these cases, it is safer than CT scans as the exposure to ionising radiation is less.
There is no specific preparation required before the MRI scan. However, you can do the following to make it a smooth experience:
- Continue your routine medication unless specifically told otherwise by the doctor.
- Remove all metal piercings and jewellery and wear loose, simple clothes.
- Eat and drink as per instructions from the laboratory and the technicians.
- Inform the doctor if you are pregnant.
- Inform the doctor if you have claustrophobia.
- Inform the doctor if you have metal implants anywhere in the body.
- Inform the doctor if you have any allergies or a previous reaction to the dye.
Any queries about the procedure will be cleared by the technicians.
You can use an online medical service. Portals like Medintu allow you to scour through the best radiology labs nearby in your city and Google more about the lab you prefer. Before choosing a lab, keep the following points in mind:
- Choose a recognised laboratory with ISO and NABL certification.
- Check out the reviews and ratings by previous customers who went to the lab for an MRI scan and the overall customer experience.
- Check the credentials of the radiologist working with the lab.
- See the distance from your place of residence.
- Look for concessions or discounts and choose a place that fits your budget.
- Check if the lab has state-of-the-art equipment so that you can get the best-quality MRI scans.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan is a painless procedure that lasts 15 to 90 minutes, depending on the size of the area being scanned and the number of images being taken.
You can schedule an MRI scan through the medintu online portal.
The average cost of MRI Scan in between Rs. 1500 to Rs. 25000, the prices may change depending upon the type of scan.