MRI sober

An MRI examination does not have to be performed on a fasting diet per se. If, for example, an examination of the intestine or stomach is to be performed, it is important to ensure that the patient is fasting. Otherwise, this is not necessarily important. In the case of a liver examination by MRI, the patient does not have to fast, but it can be recommended to avoid air infiltration. In this case, it is sufficient not to eat for 4 hours before the examination.

MRI examination with or without contrast medium?

Magnetic resonance imaging can be performed with or without prior administration of contrast medium. In the MRI image, many tissues often look similar or the same. To be able to distinguish them from each other better, it can be useful to apply a contrast medium to the patient before the MRI examination via the vein.

This contrast medium floods the body within a few seconds and “dyes” some organs in a different signal, which then separates and distinguishes them from the tissues not “stained” in the resulting MRI image. There are some images that are almost exclusively performed with contrast medium. These include, for example, images of the central nervous system and the brain.

In the case of an MRI of the liver, it can be considered whether the application of contrast medium is necessary. It should be noted that contrast medium can also often lead to allergic reactions. For this reason, it is very important to find out whether an allergy is known before the MRI examination. In the case of an MRI examination of the liver, one or more images can be taken without contrast medium to see if the view is sufficient. If this is not the case, contrast medium can be applied afterwards.

Contrast agent administration through Primovist

Primovist is a contrast agent that is mainly used for MRI examination of the liver. It consists of gadolinium and is mainly used in the diagnosis of liver metastases or liver cancer. When using Primovist, it is important that not only is the actual abnormality in the liver better visualized, because the corresponding tissue “stains” and separates from the rest of the tissue, but it also allows statements to be made as to whether the tumor is benign or malignant.