3/14/24, 8:36 AM How Long Does It Take to Get MRI Results?

Head MRI
Medically reviewed by Seunggu Han, M.D. — By Michael Harkin — Updated on
June 7, 2017

Uses Preparation Procedure Results

What is a head MRI?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head is a painless, noninvasive
test that produces detailed images of your brain and brain stem. An MRI
machine creates the images using a magnetic field and radio waves. This
test is also known as a brain MRI or a cranial MRI. You will go to a hospital
or radiology center to take a head MRI.

An MRI scan is different from a CT scan or an X-ray in that it doesn’t use

radiation to produce images. An MRI scan combines images to create a 3-
D picture of your internal structures, so it’s more effective than other
scans at detecting abnormalities in small structures of the brain such as
the pituitary gland and brain stem. Sometimes a contrast agent, or dye,
can be given through an intravenous (IV) line to better visualize certain
structures or abnormalities.
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Why do I need a head MRI?

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A head MRI is a useful tool for detecting a number of brain conditions,

including:

aneurysms, or bulging in the blood vessels of the brain

multiple sclerosis
spinal cord injuries
hydrocephalus, a buildup of spinal fluid in the brain cavities
stroke

infections
tumors
cysts
swelling
hormonal disorders, such as acromegaly and Cushing’s syndrome

hemorrhage, or bleeding
inflammation

problems with development or structure (such as a Chiari

malformation)

blood vessel issues

an issue due to a previous head injury

A head MRI can help determine whether you sustained any damage from
a stroke or head injury. Your doctor may also order a head MRI to
investigate symptoms such as:

dizziness

weakness

seizures
changes in thinking or behavior

blurry vision
chronic headaches 
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3/14/24, 8:36 AM How Long Does It Take to Get MRI Results?

These symptoms may be due to a brain issue, which an MRI scan can
help detect.

A functional MRI (fMRI) of the brain is useful for people who might have to
undergo brain surgery. An fMRI can pinpoint areas of the brain
responsible for speech and language, and body movement. It does this
by measuring metabolic changes that take place in your brain when you
perform certain tasks. During this test, you may need to carry out small
tasks, such as answering basic questions or tapping your thumb with your
fingertips.

Additionally, there is a type of MRI called magnetic resonance

angiography (MRA), which better examines the blood vessels in the brain.

How do I prepare for a head MRI?

The medical staff will need to know if you have any metal in your body,
including:

inner ear implants

artificial joints

a defibrillator or pacemaker
particular types of heart valves

vascular stents

brain aneurysm clips

They’ll also ask whether you’ve ever worked with sheet metal or been
injured with metal shrapnel. All of these things can affect how safely you
can undergo an MRI. In the case of implants and pacemakers, those items
can stop working properly due to an MRI’s powerful magnetic field.

If you’re wearing anything that contains metal, including jewelry or

sunglasses, you will need to remove those items. Metal interferes with the
MRI machine’s ability to produce a clear image. Braces and dental fillings
typically won’t pose a problem, but pocketknives, pens, pins, and certain 
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gown or clothing that doesn’t contain metal fasteners. You can’t have
electronic devices in the MRI room.

Tell the medical staff if you’re pregnant. An MRI’s magnetic field affects
unborn children in a way that isn’t yet fully understood.

Additionally, it’s important to let the staff know if you have claustrophobia.
If so, you might need to take sedatives during the exam or have an
“open” MRI. Open MRI machines have wider tunnels, which tend to be
more tolerable for claustrophobic patients.

What is the procedure for a head MRI?

During the exam, it’s important to stay still to obtain the clearest images.
Children who have difficulty staying still may need sedation, administered
either orally or through an IV line. Sedation can also be helpful for adults
who are claustrophobic.

You will lie down on a table that slides into the MRI machine. The table
slides through a large magnet shaped like a tube. You may have a plastic
coil placed around your head. After the table slides into the machine, a
technician will take several pictures of your brain, each of which will take
a few minutes. There will be a microphone in the machine that allows you
to communicate with staff.

The test normallyA Dtakes 30
VERTISEM E N Tto 60 minutes. You may receive a contrast

solution, usually gadolinium, through an IV to allow the MRI machine to

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see certain parts of your brain more easily, particularly your blood vessels.
The MRI scanner will make loud banging noises during the procedure.
You may be offered earplugs to block the MRI machine’s noises, or you
may listen to music during the test.

There are no risks associated with an MRI itself. There is a very slight
chance that you will have an allergic reaction to a contrast solution. Tell
the medical staff if you have decreased kidney function. It may not be
safe to use contrast solution if this is the case.

What happens after a head MRI?

After the test, you can get dressed and leave the testing facility. If you
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were sedated for the exam, staff may move you to a recovery area until
you wake up — usually one to two hours after you received the sedative.

A radiologist will analyze your MRI images and provide your doctor with
the results. Your results will be available quickly if your head MRI was an
emergency procedure.

Next steps will depend on whether the results revealed anything unusual
or discovered the cause of any abnormalities.

Last medically reviewed on March 29, 2017

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How Long Does It Take to Get MRI

Results?
Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI — By
Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA on July 13, 2021

The time it takes to get MRI results can vary. When your
doctor orders the MRI, you can ask how long it will take
to learn the results. You may also want to ask the person
reading the results when you can get a copy of your MRI
report.

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan provides highly detailed

images of your body by generating a magnetic field. Your doctor may
recommend getting an MRI if they need to identify key structures in your
body, such as your joints, blood vessels, heart, and more.

How long your results take depend on several factors, including if you are
getting the MRI due to an emergency situation. Keep reading to discover
when you can expect to learn about your MRI results.
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3/14/24, 8:36 AM How Long Does It Take to Get MRI Results?

How fast will you get results?

Several factors can determine how fast you’ll get your MRI results. These
include:

If it’s an emergency: You’ll usually get MRI results more quickly if

you underwent the MRI for an emergency.

Who is reading the MRI: A doctor interpret the MRI results. Often, a
physician specialist called a radiologist will interpret the MRI. They
may send their findings to the doctor that ordered the MRI. Your
doctor may then examine the MRI themselves and make conclusions
and recommendations to you.

Why you’re having the MRI: If you are having an MRI for cancer
diagnosis, staging, or treatment assessments, multiple medical
specialists may need to review and consult on the MRI results. When
this is the case, receiving information may take longer.

As a general rule, you can expect to wait 1 to 2 weeks before receiving

information on your MRI scan results.

What could hold it up?


After you have an
A D VMRI,
E R T I S Ethe
M E N Tradiology technician will transmit the images or

notify the radiologist that the images are available via a secure method.

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Some facilities have a radiologist onsite who reviews the images. Others
contract with radiologists who may live in different locations who view and
interpret the images.

A radiologist will then write a report of their findings. If they see potentially
life-threatening findings, they will immediately notify the doctor or facility
who can help the patient. If they don’t see anything that looks like an
emergency, they will send their report to the doctor who ordered your
MRI.

The doctor who ordered your MRI receives the report and views the
images, too. They will decide if they agree or disagree with the
radiologists’ findings. They may seek out another opinion from an
additional medical specialist.

The doctor will present the MRI findings to you either over the phone or at
a follow-up appointment.

Generally speaking, the radiologist, doctor, and other medical

professionals are all busy. Reading and determining MRI results may not
take long to do in terms of time commitment, but may be a longer process
based on other duties that the doctor has.

How it works
An MRI generates magnetic fields that bounce off a person’s body to
generate detailed images. The scan is painless and can take anywhere
from 15 to 90 minutes depending upon what the MRI is scanning.

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To get an MRI, you’ll lie on a flat bed that has a round, tube-like structure.
The bed will move in and out of the tube to allow the MRI to obtain
needed images. An MRI can be noisy because of the work the MRI makes
to generate a magnetic field. You will usually receive ear plugs or
headphones with music to help make the process less stressful.

Sometimes, you will receive intravenous (IV) contrast dye. This dye is
injected into your veins and goes to areas that are highly metabolically
active, which increases the image’s brightness. This could help your
doctor identify abnormal areas, such as cancerous tumors.
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For the most part, MRIs are not performed as an emergency. Often, you’ll
go to an imaging center to undergo the MRI. However, you may also
undergo an MRI at a hospital.

Why you might get an MRI

There are many reasons you may need to get an MRI. Here are some of
the most common scenarios, along with when you can expect to hear
results.

Brain scan

Why you may need it: A doctor may order a brain MRI to diagnose 
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or rule out certain medical conditions, and to consider how effective

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treatments are. These may include brain tumor, stroke, headaches,

and other related conditions.

How long it takes: About 30 to 60 minutes, but may take longer if a

technologist administers IV contrast.

Who reads the results: A radiologist and the doctor who ordered
your MRI. Sometimes, a doctor may consult with other neurologists,
radiologists, or oncologists if you have a brain tumor.

Getting results back: In a non-emergency setting, you may wait 1 to

2 weeks for results. In an emergency setting, such as a brain bleed,
you will usually receive results as quickly as possible.

Knee scan

Why you may need it: A doctor may order a knee MRI to view the
knee joint for injury, tumors, or long-term arthritis damage.

How long it takes: About 20 to 30 minutes.

Who reads the results: A radiologist and the ordering doctor, such
as an orthopedic specialist.

Getting results back: You’ll typically wait about 1 to2 weeks for
results between the time when you undergo the MRI to when you
see your doctor.

In the ER

Why you may need it: There are a number of medical conditions
where you may need an emergency MRI. This could be the case if
you’ve experienced an accident or sudden onset of serious
symptoms, such as extreme pain or paralysis.

How long it takes: Dependent upon what the MRI is scanning.

Who reads the results: A radiologist, emergency medicine doctor,

and any other specialists as needed.

Getting results back: A doctor will read an emergency MRI as

quickly as possible. 
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A doctor may order an urgent MRI for a number of conditions. You should
ask how long the results for the MRI will take to return. For example, you
may ask if a radiologist is in-house or on-call to read the MRI or if the
results may wait until the next day.

When to call your doctor

Ideally, when your doctor orders an MRI, they should tell you how long it
will take to obtain results. You will typically go to a follow-up appointment
to review not only your results, but also the treatment options relevant to
the MRI findings.

If you have a concern that your MRI revealed something that needs to be
treated urgently, you can call your doctor’s office. However, if a
radiologist identifies emergency findings, they will usually contact you.
This is especially true if you require immediate treatment.

The bottom line

MRI results can vary in the amount of time it takes to receive them. When
your doctor orders the MRI, you can ask how long it will take to learn your
results. You may want to ask who will read the MRI and if (or when) you
will receive a copy of the MRI report.

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Last medically reviewed on July 13, 2021

How we reviewed this article:

SOURCES HISTORY

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we
update our articles when new information becomes available.
Current Version

Jul 13, 2021

Written By
Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA

Edited By
Allison Tsai

Medically Reviewed By
Debra Sullivan, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE, COI

Copy Edited By
Megan McMorris

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