The successful application of MRI depends on the clinical question in mind, and the body part to be imaged
With some applications of MRI, drugs may be given to help reduce movement and improve image quality
MRI is often incorrectly considered a superior imaging modality to other imaging techniques. In many circumstances, it is inferior to CT, ultrasound, or even plain X-ray. The successful application of MRI depends on the clinical question in mind, and the body part to be imaged.
MRI provides exquisite images of body parts that do not move, such as the brain, and anatomical structures that can be kept still, such as parts of the musculoskeletal system.
Each set of images produced takes several minutes to obtain. Therefore, MRI is not suitable for patient who are unable or unwilling to remain motionless.
MRI is increasingly used in imaging the gastrointestinal tract
Antimuscarinic drugs may be given prior to imaging to prevent movement artifact from bowel peristalsis
Cardiac MRI
Cardiac MRI
Even though the heart moves, the use of 'ECG-gating' allows MRI scanners to produce exquisite images of cardiac muscles, providing information about anatomy, function and even viability of heart muscle.