MRI
GENERAL OVERVIEW ABOUT THE EXAM
Magnetic Resonance Imaging, better known as MRI, is a safe, non-invasive imaging technique designed to generate detailed images of your body. Using a strong magnetic field, radio waves, and advanced computing, it generates cross-sectional “slices” of your body for in-depth examination, without any ionizing radiation.
MRI is a sophisticated imaging method, producing high-definition images of the head, neck, spine, muscles, joints, bones, and even the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. Occasionally, we might use a contrast agent, such as gadolinium, to improve image clarity and aid accurate diagnosis.
MRI's high-resolution imaging can detect minute changes in your body's structures, ensuring the most accurate diagnosis and best treatment plan. Despite its technical nature, rest assured, our team is here to guide you through every step, making your MRI experience as comfortable as possible.
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Types of MRI
RA offers MRI at our our St. Augustine, Palm Coast, Daytona Beach and Port Orange locations. We offer open-bore MRI, which is designed for younger, larger or claustrophobic patients at our St. Augustine, Palm Coast, Daytona Beach and Port Orange locations.
Musculokeletal MRI
Having an active lifestyle can create a greater chance for injury. When diagnostic screening is needed, MRI can capture details about the joints, spine and soft tissues like muscles, tendons and ligaments, making it especially helpful when assessing sports injuries. MRI can find strains and tears of the tendons, ligaments and muscles, and detect overuse injuries, bone fractures, bleeding within tissues and joints, and other sports-related injuries.
RA’s advanced MRI scanners and musculoskeletal radiologists and neuroradiologists can accurately locate and diagnose injury so your doctor, physical therapist or other clinician can create a treatment plan.
RA is a trusted name in Sports Medicine and has been named the “Official Radiology Provider” to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Athletics.
Breast MRI
While mammography detects many breast cancers, its sensitivity is limited, making breast MRI an important supplementary test. Breast MRI uses molecular signals to look for cancers that may be too subtle to identify on mammography or ultrasound. While mammography is still the best screening exam for breast cancer, breast MRI can be used to provide additional information, including: diagnosis of breast implant ruptures, staging of breast cancer and treatment planning, post-surgery and post-radiation follow-up, dense breast tissue evaluation, and monitoring high risk patients, such as those with a personal or family history of breast cancer.
Breast MRI is also helpful in patients recently diagnosed with breast cancer seeking breast conservation therapy or where there is concern for tumor recurrence. The procedure takes approximately 20 minutes and is non-invasive, except for the injection of contrast material.
RA also offers MRI guidance for core biopsy of lesions discovered via breast MRI. Very few outpatient facilities have this capability. The ability to perform MRI breast biopsies gives us great confidence that virtually all lesions identified can be sampled.
RA offers the latest in breast MRI technology. Your physician or RA radiologist can determine if breast MRI might be right for your situation.
Prostate MRI
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in America, affecting 1 in 6 men. It is also the second leading cause of cancer death, confirming that early detection and timely treatment are essential. Traditional methods of prostate cancer detection used by Primary Care Physicians and Urologists include the digital rectal exam (DRE) and the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test.
RA offers MRI as a complementary imaging exam to aid prostate cancer diagnosis, staging, treatment planning and management. Prostate MRI offers better visualization of the prostate gland and surrounding tissues than any other imaging test and provides functional information about the tissue that can help determine whether areas of prostate tissue are normal or abnormal.
Cardiac MRI
Cardiac MRI imaging allows your referring physician and RA radiologist to diagnose and monitor cardiac issues, including problems with the heart such as enlargement and restricted blood flow, and disorders of the cardiovascular system, like inflammation, infection, tumors, blockage and scarring. When a disorder is discovered, cardiac MRI can be useful in monitoring its progression as well as staging treatment and evaluating the success of treatments over time.
Small Bowel MRI (MR Enterography)
This examination is similar to the CT Enterography, but it is performed on an MRI scanner. The advantage of MRI is the lack of ionizing radiation and the ability to visualize small bowel motility. The lack of ionizing radiation is particularly important for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease) who will need many imaging studies over their lifetime.
MR Angiography
Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is a special type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test designed to evaluate arteries, veins and blood flow. MRA enables the capture of detailed images without the need of inserting a catheter, removing the risk of damaging an artery. In some cases a contrast dye (gadolinium) is injected to highlight the blood vessels for easier study of details.
One of the most common reasons an MRA is ordered is to examine the arteries for narrowing, weakening, bulging or plaque buildup that could lead to a serious medical condition like stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure, blood clots, kidney failure or bleeding in or around the brain. MRA technology is one of the best ways to detect, diagnose and stage treatment of heart disorders, strokes and blood vessel diseases. Using MRA, exploratory surgery and its associated risks may be avoided.
MRI Elastography - Liver
Elastography is a test using high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure the elasticity of internal organs, specifically the liver. Stiffness of the liver can identify the presence and severity of certain diseases. Elastography may be used instead of a needle biopsy to diagnose liver disease.
Non-invasive, radiation-free MRI directs low frequency vibrations to the area being investigated and measures how well the vibrations move through it, sending this data to a computer to compose a visual map. Your radiologist and referring clinician use this map to diagnose specific conditions and disease of the liver.
What to Expect
A contrast material may be injected or swallowed, depending on your exam. Because MRI utilizes magnets, you will be asked to remove all metal objects like jewelry, belts, etc. Most people with permanent metal situated anywhere in the head or body are not eligible for MRI examination. You will be asked to lie still on the table with the area being investigated situated inside the MRI machine while it captures a series of images. Earplugs will be provided to diminish the knocking and thumping sounds created by the scan. The test is painless, but can take from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Some people feel confined in an MRI machine. For people prone to claustrophobia, RA offers open-bore MRI, which offers a wider environment suitable for such patients. Open-bore MRI may also be indicated for people with larger bodies and children, who typically find open MRI more comfortable.
ACR Accredited in MRI
Our facilities have been accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR) for accuracy, safety and best practice standards in MRI. For a complete listing of our accreditations per imaging center, please visit our Contact page.
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