When is cranial MRI used?
Magnetic resonance imaging of the skull (MRI – head) is indicated in the following cases, for example:
- Brain tumors
- Meningitis (inflammation of the meninges)
- Brain haemorrhages
- Vascular changes (such as constrictions, bulges)
- Dementia
- Parkinson’s disease
The doctor can also differentiate between brain diseases with an autoimmune cause and inflammations (TBE, Creutzfeld-Jakob, etc.) based on characteristic findings in the MRI.
After a stroke (cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction), a cranial MRI is also sometimes performed. However, computer tomography is used even more frequently here because it takes less time.
Orthodontists also produce MRI images of the following structures for special questions:
- Temporomandibular joint (misalignment, cartilage damage)
- teeth
- Periodontium
MRI – Head: Procedure
During an MRI examination (head), the doctor takes cross-sectional images of the bony skull, the blood vessels and the brain. MRI examinations all follow the same principle: the patient is usually placed on a couch in the tubular MRI machine and should lie as still as possible while a special computer takes the images.
MRI – Head: Special procedures
Special MRI examination methods are also used in stroke diagnostics in particular, especially diffusion MRI and perfusion MRI: while perfusion MRI directly shows the blood supply to the individual areas of the brain, diffusion MRI allows the doctor to determine the migration (diffusion) of hydrogen molecules. In areas affected by a stroke, the hydrogen molecules do not travel well; they therefore appear lighter in the imaging than healthy brain tissue.
MRI – Head: Duration
As a rule, an MRI (head) takes 15 to 30 minutes. However, in emergencies, for example if the patient feels very unwell, the examination can be ended earlier.
