Ogden Clinic Announces

NEW RADIOLOGY SERVICES

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Ogden Clinic adds new services at their Harrison Blvd. location. In an effort to meet growing patient demand, the Radiology Department announced they will begin MRI services in January 2007. The new MRI unit has been added to the radiology services available at the Ogden Clinic to improve access and quality control, while decreasing wait times for our patients.

Below is an overview of MRI services, the process, and benefits of the procedure.

Test Overview

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a test that uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to make pictures of organs and structures inside the body. In many cases, MRI gives information that cannot be seen on an X-ray, ultrasound, or computed tomography (CT) scan.

For an MRI test, the area of the body being studied is placed inside a special machine that is a strong magnet. Information from an MRI can be saved and stored on a computer for more study. Photographs or films of certain views can also be made. In some cases, a contrast material may be used during the MRI to show pictures of organs or structures more clearly.

Why It Is Done

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to find problems, such as tumors, bleeding, injury, blood vessel problems, or infection. An MRI may be done using contrast material to see abnormal tissue clearly. An MRI can be done for the:

• Head. MRI can look at the brain for tumors, an aneurysm, bleeding in the brain, nerve injury, and other problems, such as damage caused by a stroke. MRI can also find problems of the eyes and optic nerves, and the ears and auditory nerves.
• Chest. An MRI of the chest can look at the heart, the valves, and coronary blood vessels. It can show if the heart or lungs are damaged. MRI of the chest may also be used to look for breast or lung cancer.
• Blood vessels. Using an MRI to look at blood vessels and the flow of blood through them is called magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA). It can find problems of the arteries and veins, such as an aneurysm, a blocked blood vessel, or a torn lining of a blood vessel (dissection). Sometimes contrast material is used to see the blood vessels more clearly.
• Abdomen and pelvis. MRI can find problems in the organs and structures in the belly, such as the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys, and bladder. It is used to find tumors, bleeding, infection, and blockage. In women, it can look at the uterus and ovaries. In men, it looks at the prostate.
• Bones and joints. MRI can check for problems of the bones and joints, such as arthritis, problems with the temporomandibular joint, bone marrow problems, bone tumors, cartilage problems, torn ligaments or tendons, or infection. MRI can also tell if a bone is broken if an X-ray cannot. MRI is done more commonly than other tests to check some bone and joint problems.
• Spine. MRI can check the discs and nerves of the spine for conditions such as spinal stenosis, disc bulges, and spinal tumors.

How To Prepare

Before your MRI test, tell your health professional and the MRI technologist if you:

• Are allergic to any medicines. The contrast material used for MRI does not contain iodine. If you have a known allergy to the contrast material used for MRI, tell your health professional before having the test. Sometimes the benefits of having this test may outweigh the risks.
• Are or might be pregnant.
• Have a pacemaker, artificial limb, any metal pins or metal parts in your body (especially in the eyes), metal heart valves, metal clips in your brain, metal implants in your ear, tattooed eyeliner, or any other implanted or prosthetic medical device (such as a medicine infusion pump). Also, tell your health professional if you have worked around metal or if you have recently had surgery on a blood vessel. In some cases you may not be able to have the MRI test.
• Have an intrauterine device (IUD) in place. An IUD may prevent you from having the MRI test done.
• Become very nervous in confined spaces. You need to lie very still inside the MRI magnet, so you may need to have the test done with open MRI equipment. It is not as confining as standard MRI machines. You may need medicine to help you relax.
• Have any other health conditions, such as kidney problems or sickle cell anemia, that may prevent you from having an MRI using contrast material.
• Wear any medication patches. The MRI may cause a burn at the patch site.

You may need to sign a consent form that says you understand the risks of an MRI and agree to have the test done. Talk to your health professional about any concerns you have regarding the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will indicate.

You may need to arrange for someone to drive you home after the test, if you are given a medicine (sedative) to help you relax.

For an MRI of the belly, you may be asked to not eat or drink for several hours before the test.

How It Is Done

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test is usually done by an MRI technologist. The pictures are usually interpreted by a radiologist. However, some other types of doctors can also interpret an MRI scan.

You will need to remove all metal objects (such as hearing aids, dentures, jewelry, watches, and hairpins) from your body because these objects may be attracted to the powerful magnet used for the test. If you have had an accident or you work around metal, there is a possibility that you have metal fragments in your head, eyes, skin, or spine. An X-ray may be taken before the MRI to see if you can have the test.

You will need to take off all or most of your clothes, depending on which area is examined (you may be allowed to keep on your underwear if it is not in the way). You will be given a gown to use during the test. If you are allowed to keep some of your clothes on, you should empty your pockets of any coins and cards (such as credit cards or ATM cards) with scanner strips on them because the MRI magnet may erase the information on the cards.

During the test you will lie on your back on a table that is part of the MRI scanner. Your head, chest, and arms may be held with straps to help you remain still. The table will slide into the space that contains the magnet. A device called a coil may be placed over or wrapped around the area to be scanned.

Some people feel nervous (claustrophobic) inside the MRI magnet. If this keeps you from lying still, you can be given a medicine (sedative) to help you relax. Open MRI machines may be helpful if you are claustrophobic.

Inside the scanner you will hear a fan and feel air moving. You may also hear tapping or snapping noises as the MRI scans are taken. You may be given ear plugs or headphones with music to reduce the noise. It is very important to hold completely still while the scan is being done. You may be asked to hold your breath for short periods of time.

During the test, you may be alone in the scanner room. However, the technologist will watch you through a window. You will be able to talk through a speaker.

If contrast material is needed, the technologist will put it in an intravenous (IV) line in your arm. The material may be given over 1 to 2 minutes. Then more MRI scans are done.

An MRI test usually takes 30 to 60 minutes but can take as long as 2 hours.

How It Feels

You won't have pain from the magnetic field or radio waves used for the MRI test. The table you lie on may feel hard and the room may be cool. You may be tired or sore from lying in one position for a long time.

If a contrast material is used, you may feel some coolness and flushing as it is put into your IV.

In rare cases, you may feel:

• A tingling feeling in the mouth if you have metal dental fillings.
• Warmth in the area being examined. This is normal. Tell the technologist if you have nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, pain, burning, or breathing problems.

What are the benefits vs. risks?

Benefits

• Images of the soft-tissue structures of the body—such as the heart, lungs, liver and other organs—are clearer and more detailed than with other imaging methods.
• MRI can help physicians evaluate the function as well as the structure of many organs.
• The detail makes MRI an invaluable tool in early diagnosis and evaluation of tumors.
• MRI contrast material is less likely to produce an allergic reaction than the iodine-based materials used for conventional x-rays and CT scanning.
• MRI enables the detection of abnormalities that might be obscured by bone with other imaging methods.
• MRI provides a fast, noninvasive alternative to x-ray angiography for diagnosing problems of the heart and cardiovascular system.
• Exposure to radiation is avoided.

Risks

• An undetected metal implant may be affected by the strong magnetic field.
• MRI is generally avoided in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Doctors usually use other methods of imaging, such as ultrasound, on pregnant women unless there is a strong medical reason to use MRI.

Possible side effects

There are no known harmful effects from the strong magnetic field used for MRI. However, the magnet is very powerful. The magnet may affect pacemakers, artificial limbs, and other medical devices that contain iron. The magnet will stop a watch that is close to the magnet.

Metal parts in the eyes can damage the retina. If you may have metal fragments in the eye, an X-ray of the eyes may be done before the MRI. If metal is found, the MRI will not be done.

Iron pigments in tattoos or tattooed eyeliner can cause skin or eye irritation.

An MRI can cause a burn with some medication patches. Be sure to tell your health professional if you are wearing a patch.

There is a slight risk of an allergic reaction if contrast material is used during the MRI. However, most reactions are mild and can be treated using medicine. There also is a slight risk of an infection at the IV site.

Results

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a test that uses a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to make pictures of organs and structures inside the body.

The radiologist may discuss initial results of the MRI with you right after the test. Complete results are usually ready for your health professional in 1 to 2 days.

An MRI can sometimes find a problem in a tissue or organ even when the size and shape of the tissue or organ looks normal.

What Affects the Test

Factors that can interfere with your test or the accuracy of the results include:

• Pregnancy. An MRI test usually is not done during pregnancy.
• Medical devices that use electronics, such as a pacemaker or medication infusion pump. The MRI magnet may cause problems with these devices and may prevent you from having an MRI.
• Medical devices that have metal in them. The metal might make some of the detailed MRI pictures blurry. This may prevent your doctor from seeing the organ that is being looked at. For example, an intrauterine device (IUD) with metal may prevent your doctor from seeing the uterus clearly.
• Inability to remain still during the test.
• Obesity. A person who is very overweight may not fit into standard MRI machines.

What To Think About

• Sometimes your MRI test results may be different because you were tested at a different medical center or your old studies are not available to compare to the new study.
• MRI is a safe test for looking at structures and organs inside the body.
• MRI can be used to check different parts of the body, such as the head, belly, breast, spine, shoulder, and knee.
• MRI spectroscopy is a special MRI method that identifies certain medical problems by looking for specific chemicals in body tissues.