Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the organs and tissues within your body.

Most MRI machines are large, tube-shaped magnets. When you lie inside an MRI machine, the magnetic field temporarily realigns hydrogen atoms in your body. Radio waves cause these aligned atoms to produce very faint signals, which are used to create cross-sectional MRI images — like slices in a loaf of bread.

The MRI machine can also be used to produce 3-D images that may be viewed from many different angles.

When It’s Done:

MRI is performed to diagnose brain and spinal cord abnormalities, breast diseases, heart and blood vessels disorders, bone and joint disorders and internal organs disorders.

 

MRI is a noninvasive way for your doctor to examine your organs, tissues and skeletal system. It produces high-resolution images that help diagnose a variety of problems.

MRI can help diagnose various conditions such as:

• Disorders of the eye and internal ear

• Multiple sclerosis

• Stroke

• Tumours

• Spinal cord injuries

• Ballooning of the blood vessels (aneurysms)

• Joint disorders such as arthritis and bone infections

• Breast cancer

Functional MRI of the brain (fMRI) can be used to identify important language and movement control areas in the brain in people who are being considered for brain surgery.

MRI of the heart and blood vessels

An MRI that focuses on the heart or blood vessels can assess:

• The size and function of the heart's chambers

• Thickness and movement of the walls of the heart

• The extent of damage caused by heart attack or heart disease

• Structural problems in the aorta, such as aneurysms or dissections

• Inflammation or blockages in the blood vessels

MRI of other internal organs

An MRI may be used to check for tumors or other abnormalities of many organs in the body, including the:

• Liver

• Kidneys

• Spleen

• Pancreas

• Uterus

• Ovaries

• Prostate

• Testicles

MRI of bones and joints

MRI may be used to help evaluate:

• Joint disorders, such as arthritis

• Joint abnormalities caused by traumatic or repetitive injuries

• Disk abnormalities in the spine

• Bone infections

• Tumors of the bones and soft tissues

MRI of the breasts

MRI may be used in addition to mammography to detect breast cancer, particularly in women who have dense breast tissue or who may be at high risk of the disease.