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Common Reasons A Person May Need An MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a type of medical imaging technique that gives health care professionals the ability to see what is going on inside a person's body. An MRI may be ordered in an emergency situation, after something is noticed on an x-ray, ultrasound, or CT scan that needs to be looked at closer, or as a way to follow up on a patients condition after surgery or other medical treatments. Some of the most common reasons a person would need to have an MRI include:

Head MRI

Since MRIs provide a very clear look inside the body, they are often used to diagnose problems with the brain and spine. An MRI is often ordered if a doctor has reasons to believe that a person may have a brain tumor or aneurysm. They are also used to inspect the brain for signs that a person may have had a stroke. In emergency situations where a person may have suffered a head trauma, an MRI may be ordered to check to see if there is any brain bleeding.

MRIs can also provide a lot of information about the condition of a person's spine.  The images produced by an MRI can show a tumor on the spine, and also produce images that can tell health care professionals if there are problems with the vertebrae or intervertebral discs of the spine. When a person suffers a trauma, an MRI will be ordered to check the spinal cord for any signs of injury.

Heart MRIs

MRIs are also often ordered for patients who have heart issues. The images from an MRI can show the anatomy of the heart and any tears in the muscle. Doctors often order MRIs to diagnose congenital heart defects, and will use the information provided by the images to create a treatment plan. A person who has suffered a heart attack will often need an MRI in order to monitor the thickness of the muscle.

Abdominal MRI

An MRI produces very clear images, so they are often ordered when a doctor needs a clear picture of a person's abdomen and the organs inside it. Like an MRI of the brain, an MRI of the abdomen can detect any tumors that may be present. In some cases, an MRI may be ordered in order to pinpoint the location of an infection within the abdomen so doctors can make an informed choice about how to treat it. 

Get in touch with a center like Kenai Peninsula Imaging Center, LLC for more information.


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