Applications of MRI

MRIs are a relatively new technology to hit the medical world, and have completely
revolutionized medical imaging and the diagnosing process as we know it. In-vivo images
can be taken of the human body, meaning that internal images can be seen without making
any incisions. Completely non-intrusive procedures are used, which makes MRI's very
effective, but somewhat expensive, for doctors to use.

MRIs are administered to patients suffering from the following:

 inflammation or infection in an organ

 degenerative diseases
 strokes
 musculoskeletal disorders
 tumors
 other irregularities that exist in tissue or organs in their body

High-resolution images of organs or any area of the body can be made without the need for
using x-rays because MRIs use radio frequency (RF) light. Since they use RF light, MRIs do
not present any known health risks to the patients; however anyone with metal implants could
not receive a MRI. If a person's nervous system needed to be studied, an MRI image would
be the best imaging method to use, especially if the brain or spinal cord needed to be
investigated.

Functional MRI's are done to determine which parts of the brain have control over which uses
of the human body. These MRIs are critical in determining motor imagery, speech portions of
the brain, and diagnosing which parts of the brain may be affected by a tumor. Some
operations are deferred because a portion of the brain that is vital (ie. speech) may be
removed, and this is only determined via functional MRIs.
Advantages of MRI

1. No Ionizing Radiation: RF pulses used in MRI do not cause ionization and have no harmful effects
of ionizing radiation. Hence can be used in child bearing ladies and children.
2. Non-invasive: MRI is non-invasive.
3. Contrast resolution: It is the Principle advantage of MRI, i.e. Ability of an image process to
distinguish adjacent soft tissue from one another. It can manipulate the contrast between different
tissues by altering the pattern of RF pulses.
4. Not image: With MRI, we can obtain direct not coronal and oblique image which is impossible
with radiography and CT.
5. It could differentiate between acute and chronic transit and fibrous phases parallel with not
changes.
6. Absence of significant artifact associated with dental filling.
7. No adverse effect has yet been demonstrated.
8. Image manipulation can be done.

DISADVANTAGES OF MRI:
1. Claustrophobia i.e. fear of closed places because the patient is within the large magnet up to one
hour.
2. MRI equipment is expensive to purchase, maintain, and operate. Hardware and software are still
being developed.
3. Because of the strong magnetic field used in patient electrically, magnetically or mechanically
activated implants such as cardiac pacemakers, implantable defibrillators and some artificial heart
valves may not be able to have MRI safely.
4. The MRI image becomes distorted by metal, so the image is distorted in patients with surgical
clips or not, for instance.
5. Bone dose not give MR signal, a signal is obtained only from the bone marrow.
6. Long scanning time and requires patient’s co-operation.
7. The very powerful magnets can pose problems with sitting of equipment although shielding is now
becoming more sophisticated.
8. MRI scanners are noisy.
9. Patient could develop an allergic reaction to the contrasting agent, or that a skin infection could
develop at the site of injection.
10. MRI cannot always distinguish between malignant tumors or benign disease, which could lead to
a false positive result.
Future of MRI

The future of MRI seems limited only by our imagination. This technology is still in its

infancy, comparatively speaking. It has been in widespread use for less than 20 years

(compared with over 100 years for X-rays).

Very small scanners for imaging specific body parts are being developed. For instance, a

scanner that you simply place your arm, knee or foot in, are currently in use in some areas.

Our ability to visualize the arterial and venous system is improving all the time. Functional

brain mapping (scanning a person's brain while he or she is performing a certain physical

task such as squeezing a ball, or looking at a particular type of picture) is helping researchers

better understand how the brain works. Research is under way in a few institutions to image

the ventilation dynamics of the lungs through the use of hyperpolarized helium-3 gas. The

development of new, improved ways to image strokes in their earliest stages is ongoing.

Predicting the future of MRI is speculative at best, but I have no doubt it will be exciting for

those of us in the field, and very beneficial to the patients we care for. MRI is a field with a

virtually limitless future, and I hope this article has helped you better understand the basics of

how it all works!