Also called: Also called: Magnetic resonance imaging, NMR, Nuclear magnetic resonance
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses a large magnet and radio waves to look at organs and structures inside your body. Health care professionals use MRI scans to diagnose a variety of conditions, from torn ligaments to tumors. MRIs are very useful for examining the brain and spinal cord.
During the scan, you lie on a table that slides inside a tunnel-shaped machine. Doing the scan can take a long time, and you must stay still. The scan is painless. The MRI machine makes a lot of noise. The technician may offer you earplugs.
Before you get a scan, tell your doctor if you
- Are pregnant
- Have pieces of metal in your body. You might have metal in your body if you have a shrapnel or bullet injury or if you are a welder
- Have electronic devices in your body, such as a cardiac pacemaker
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MRI
(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/mri/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/mrispanish/htm/index.htm - MRI: Viewing Your Brain and Other Soft Tissues(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/mri/SM00035/METHOD=print
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging(International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine) - http://www.ismrm.org/public/
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Radiology in Motion: Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/video/index.cfm?filename=mr
- New Imaging Identifies Types of Liver Disease(11/01/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_71138.html
- Asleep or Awake, Brain Functions the Same(10/31/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_71126.html
- New MRI Puts Cervical Cancer into Focus(10/21/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_70700.html
- More News on MRI Scans http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_m.html#mriscans
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Cardiac MRI
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/mri/mri_whatis.html
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Cardiac MRI (MRI of the Heart, Great Vessels and Adjacent Structures)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=cardiacmr
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=cardiacmr
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Chest MRI(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/cmri/cmri_whatis.html
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Functional MR Imaging (fMRI): Brain(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=fmribrain
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=fmribrain
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MR Angiography (MRA)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=angiomr
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=angiomr&bhcp=1
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MRI of the Body (Chest, Abdomen, Pelvis)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bodymr
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=bodymr
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MRI of the Chest(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=chestmr
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=chestmr
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MRI of the Head(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=headmr
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=headmr
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MRI of the Musculoskeletal System(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=muscmr
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=muscmr
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MRI of the Prostate(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=mr_prostate
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=mr_prostate
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MRI of the Spine(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=spinemr
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=spinemr
- Important Questions to Ask about the Quality of Your Imaging Examination(American College of Radiology) - http://www.acr.org/MainMenuCategories/PatientInfo/ImportantQuestions.aspx
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Safety(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/safety/index.cfm?pg=sfty_mr
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/safety/index.cfm?pg=sfty_mr&bhcp=1
- Questions and Answers on Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents(Center for Drug Evaluation and Research) - http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/gcca/qa_200705.htm
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MRI(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/mri/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/mrispanish/htm/index.htm
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Play the MRI Game(Nobel Foundation) - Requires Flash Player - http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/mri/
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Magnetic Resonance Imaging(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=mri
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Neurological Imaging(National Institutes of Health) - Links to PDF - http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/Neuroimaging.pdf
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Subjective cognitive failures and hippocampal volume in elderly with white... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18838662&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: I recently visited a large medical center for a second... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18822525&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Magnetic resonance imaging vs. electrodiagnostic root compromise in lumbar spinal... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18806507&tool=MedlinePlus
- MRI Scans -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=magnetic+resonance+imaging[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+AND+(jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt)&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
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RadiologyInfo: Glossary of Terms(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/glossary/glossary1.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/glossary/glossary1.cfm
- American College of Radiology Accredited Facility Search(American College of Radiology) - http://www.acr.org/accreditation/AccreditedFacilitySearch.aspx
- Center for Devices and Radiological Health - http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/
- RadiologyInfo(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/
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Keeping Kids Still during Exams(American Society of Radiologic Technologists) - http://www.asrt.org/content/ThePublic/AboutRadiologicProcedures/KeepingKidsStillDuringExams.aspx
Also available in Spanish http://www.asrt.org/media/pdf/patientpages/PedImmolizSP.pdf
- Diagnostic Imaging - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diagnosticimaging.html
- Diagnostic Tests - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diagnostictests.html
MRI Scans - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/mriscans.html