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Key Points
- Chest MRI is a safe, noninvasive test. It creates
detailed pictures of the structures in your chest, like your chest wall, heart,
and blood vessels. Radio waves, magnets, and a computer are used to make these
pictures.
- Chest MRI is used to look for tumors in the
chest; look at blood vessels, lymph nodes, and other structures in the chest;
and help explain results from other tests, such as
chest
x ray and chest CT scan.
- You may need a chest MRI if your doctor suspects
you have a chest condition, such as a tumor, a problem in the blood vessels
(such as an
aneurysm
or blood clot), abnormal lymph nodes, or other chest conditions.
- Before a chest MRI, your doctor or the MRI
technician will ask you questions about your health to make sure an MRI is safe
for you. You should not wear or bring metal or electronic objects into the MRI
room. The MRI can damage these items, and they can interfere with the MRI
machine.
- An MRI machine looks like a long, narrow tunnel.
New machines are shorter and wider and don’t completely surround you;
others are open on all sides. Tell your doctor if you’re afraid of tight
or closed spaces. He or she may give you medicine to help you relax or find you
a place that has an open MRI machine.
- Before the test, your doctor may inject a special
substance (called contrast dye) into a vein in your arm. This dye allows the
MRI to take more detailed pictures of the structures in your chest.
- If you’re breast-feeding, ask your doctor
how long you should wait after the test before you breast-feed. The contrast
dye can be passed through your breast milk. You may want to prepare for the
test by pumping and saving milk for 24 to 48 hours in advance. You can
bottle-feed your baby in the hours after the MRI.
- A chest MRI is painless. During the test, you lie
on your back on a sliding table as it passes through the MRI machine. The
machine takes pictures of your chest. Moving your body can cause the pictures
to blur. You will be asked to remain very still during the test.
- You usually can return to your normal routine
right after a chest MRI. If you got medicine to help you relax, your doctor
will tell you when you can return to your normal routine. The medicine may make
you tired, so you’ll need someone to drive you home.
- Chest MRI has few risks. Rarely, the contrast dye
used for some chest MRIs may cause an allergic reaction.
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What Are the Risks
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