MRI of the different body regions
The MRI scan of the head provides an image of all structures present in the head. It allows statements about the skull, the structure of the brain, the arterial and venous blood conductors of the head, as well as other cavities and soft tissue of the head. Due to the recording of a magnetic field during the MRI in contrast to the CT or X-ray examination, the patient is not exposed to radiation.
As with most MRI examinations, the patient is placed on a couch and drives into the tubular tomograph. In a head examination, the head and upper body are placed inside the device. During the scan, the patient must remain lying still, otherwise the images may be blurred.
The recording takes between 20-30 minutes. During this time, the device may occasionally make loud knocking noises, which should not deter the patient. The examination is not harmful for harmful and is used to diagnose many diseases.
Above all, the structures of the brain are examined, for example for tumors, infarcts or inflammatory changes. In the knee, too, magnetic resonance imaging is the best means of imaging soft tissue. The tubular device is also used, which has a round opening on two sides.
The difference to some other MRI examinations is that the patient does not have to enter the tube with his upper body. A common problem is claustrophobia during the MRI. In MRI examinations of the knee, the patient only has to enter the tomograph approximately up to the hip.
The patient should be prepared, for example by going to the toilet, as the examination takes about 30 minutes. Also for the knee, the MRI examination is the more expensive but less harmful alternative to CT. The ligament and cartilage structures of the knee can be visualized in great detail.
It is therefore useful in diagnosing damage to the menisci, cruciate ligaments, collateral ligaments and cartilage. An MRI is also recommended for unclear knee pain that has not been found to be caused by any other diagnostic method. As a supplement to conventional cardiac diagnostics, for example ultrasound of the heart, magnetic resonance imaging of the heart can be performed as a non-invasive procedure.
It depicts the soft tissue structures in the thorax in great detail. For example, the chamber size of the heart, the structure of the heart muscle and, above all, the coronary arteries can be depicted very accurately. The MRI examination of the heart has become increasingly important, especially in the last decade.
Because an MRI recording takes a long time, heart examinations are often blurred by the constant movement of the muscle. With new equipment and methods, images can be recorded faster and the heart movements can be compensated for in the image. It is not possible to examine patients with pacemakers or other implants in the body.
The patient must then enter the tomograph with the entire upper body. The MRI examination is particularly suitable for detecting infarctions or occlusions of the coronary vessels. It is also used in cases of suspected inflammation of the heart muscle and for examination after heart surgery.
The MRI examination of the cervical spine is being used more and more frequently for a wide range of diseases.It depicts all structures of the spine, including intervertebral discs and nerves, in detail. The high contrast of the image makes it possible to diagnose even minor changes in the spine or nerve compression. The MRI also shows inflammations and tumors well, which is why it is used especially for diagnostic purposes.
In the MRI examination of the neck, the patient must first enter the tomograph with his head. Here, he also lies still on a couch, which moves into the inside of the tube by itself. Like most MRI examinations, the recording takes between 20 and 30 minutes.
The patient can be given a contrast medium for a sharper diagnosis. As with all examinations that work with a magnetic field, such as MRI, the patient must not have any metallic objects on or in his body. All types of prostheses or pacemakers are covered by this.
The MRI examination of the prostate often represents a necessity in diagnostics, since the prostate is often difficult to examine with conventional methods due to its location in the pelvis. It is sometimes also performed as a preventive examination of the prostate, since prostate cancer is the most common male cancer. The risk of developing prostate cancer increases steadily with age.
It is not possible to make an exact diagnosis by palpation and blood tests alone. Due to the absence of radiation, the MRI examination represents a health-friendly alternative to computer tomography. In addition, an MRI scan is much more accurate, but it takes about 20-30 minutes and usually costs more.
For a more precise examination, the patient is injected with a contrast medium via a venous access in advance. The MRI examination of the prostate is mainly used as a precautionary measure for high-risk patients, when carcinomas are suspected and for interventions such as biopsies or operations. If the patient has metal implants or prostheses in his body, he is unfortunately not eligible for an MRI examination.
