MRI – Chest

Using a strong magnetic field, radio waves, and a computer, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the chest produces detailed images of different structures within the chest. An MRI of the chest helps in assessing abnormal masses, mainly associated with cancer. It helps determine the size of such masses and how much they have spread to the neighboring structures. An MRI of the chest is also effective in assessing the heart’s anatomy and function and the blood flow. If you require reliable MRI services, you can count on Los Angeles Diagnostics.

Overview Of MRI Of The Chest

Magnetic resonance imaging is a safe procedure commonly used in diagnosing different medical conditions. Unlike x-rays, MRI doesn't use radiation. Instead, it uses strong magnetic fields, radio waves, and a computer to produce clear and detailed images of the internal structures. Detailed MRI images enable doctors to diagnose illnesses that would otherwise be difficult to diagnose. MRI images are often displayed and transmitted electronically, uploaded on a digital cloud server, copied on CD, or printed.

An MRI of the chest provides detailed pictures of different structures within the chest cavities from any angle. These structures include the pleura, chest wall, mediastinum, and heart vessels. In addition, MRI provides doctors with sequential imaging of the cardiovascular system, which helps assess the function and health of different structures, including great vessels, heart, and valves.

When An MRI Of The Chest Is Necessary

When is an MRI of the chest necessary?

• Assessing abnormal masses, especially cancer of the lungs or other nearby tissues — MRI is effective when it is hard to assess masses using other imaging techniques like CT scans.
• It enables doctors to determine the size and extent and whether the tumor has spread to the neighboring tissues.
• It helps assess the heart's function and anatomy and that of its structures like valves.
• Assess the blood flow into the heart, commonly known as myocardial perfusion — MRI also helps assess myocardial infarct, a scar that forms on the heart's muscle due to a previous obstruction in the blood flow.
• Determining blood flow dynamics in the heart chambers and vessels
• Enables doctors to examine the blood vessels and lymph nodes, including lymphatic and vascular chest malfunctions.
• Identify any disorder in the chest bones (ribs, vertebrae, and sternum) — MRI also helps assess conditions in the soft tissue on the chest and muscles (fat and muscles).
• Medics rely on MRI to check for pericardial disease in patients, characterized by a thin sac surrounding the heart.
• Characterize pleural or mediastinal lesions revealed by other imaging techniques like CT scan and X-ray.

MRA (magnetic resonance angiography), a special form of MRI, is helpful when assessing vessels of the chest cavity, veins, and arteries. MRA can help reveal an aneurysm, the abnormal ballooning out of the artery wall. It can also show a dissection, a torn inner lining of an artery.

Preparing For MRI Of The Chest

While undergoing an MRI, you may wear your clothing or a hospital gown. However, you should ensure that you go for loose-fitting clothing with no metallic fasteners. You should also take your food and prescribed medication before undergoing an MRI unless advised otherwise. For the best results, some MRI examinations involve using contrast material. The MRI expert will ask you whether you have asthma or allergies to certain drugs, food, contrast material, and the environment.

The most commonly used contrast material is gadolinium. This contrast material is ideal for patients who experience allergic reactions to iodine contrast. Most people tend to be allergic to iodine contrast but not gadolinium contrast. Even if you are allergic to gadolinium, it may still be possible to use the contrast after taking the appropriate pre-medication.

If you have had surgery recently or you have other serious health issues, you should ensure that you inform the radiologist or the technologist. It might be necessary to restrict a patient to certain contrasts, especially if they have kidney disease. You may undergo a blood test before the MRI to determine if your kidneys are functioning correctly.

If a woman feels that she might be pregnant, it is advisable to inform the doctor or the MRI technologist. For many years, MRIs have been performed on pregnant women without ill effects on their unborn babies. However, it is not advisable to have an MRI during the first trimester because the baby will be exposed to a strong magnetic field. Therefore, you should only have an MRI in early pregnancy if the imaging benefits outweigh the risks. Unless it is essential, a pregnant woman should not receive gadolinium contrast.

You may request your doctor to prescribe a sedative before the MRI exam if you are anxious or if you have a fear of enclosed areas (claustrophobia). Doctors often recommend anesthesia or sedation for young children and infants to ensure that they undergo the MRI examination without moving. The level of sedation varies depending on the type of exam, the child's intellectual capability, and the child's age. Sedation for a child is available in many health facilities. However, a pediatric anesthesia or sedation expert should be around when examining the child to ensure that the child is safe. Doctors advise parents on how to prepare children before an MRI examination.

If a health facility has the personnel to work with a child during the examination, there may be no need for anesthesia or sedation. The personnel prepare children for the actual exam using a dummy MRI scanner. They also play sounds that the child might hear during the MRI exam. The personnel explains the procedures and answers any questions regarding the process to relieve fear. In some facilities, children will have headsets and goggles to watch a movie while the MRI is on. This allows a child to stay still during the procedure, resulting in high-quality images.

MRI and Jewelry

It is advisable to leave jewelry and other accessories at home or remove them before the MRI exam. In addition, people with certain implants will need to undergo an evaluation for safety before entering the MRI scanning area:

• Certain dental work (removable)
• Watches, jewelry, hearing aids, and credit cards because they might be damaged during the procedure
• Pocket knives, pens, and eyeglasses
• Electronic watches, mobile phones, and tracking devices
• Body piercings

In most cases, it is safe for patients with mental implants to undergo an MRI. However, people with certain types of implants should avoid entering the MRI scanning area without being evaluated for safety:

• Cochlear implants
• Certain brain aneurysms’ clips
• Certain metal clips placed inside blood vessels
• Pacemakers and cardiac defibrillators

If you have any electronic or medical devices in your body, you should ensure that you inform the MRI technologist. The technologist will take the necessary caution to ensure that the devices will not risk or interfere with the MRI examination. Many implants and devices have a pamphlet that explains the MRI risks of the device. You should bring such pamphlets to the technologist's attention before the MRI exam. The pamphlet will help answer any questions the technologist or the radiologist may have. If you have any type of implant, the MRI exam can only be performed after a proper confirmation and documentation of the implant with MRI.

If a patient is unsure if they have some metal objects in their body, an x-ray can help identify metal objects. Patients with metal objects commonly used during orthopedic surgery can undergo MRI without any risk. However, if you have an artificial joint placed recently, you may need to undergo a different type of imaging other than an MRI.

Ensure that you inform the radiologist or the technologist about any metal objects that could be lodged in your body, including bullets and shrapnel. If you have foreign metal objects in or close to your eyes, you should be particularly careful because the objects may heat up or move during the exam and make you blind. Certain dyes used in tattoos may heat up during an MRI exam because they contain iron. However, this is rare. Braces, tooth fillings, and eye shadows are not affected by magnetic fields. However, they could result in distorted brain images or facial areas; you should inform the radiologist about them. Any person who plans to accompany a patient to the MRI room must also be screened for implanted devices and metal objects.

The MRI Equipment

The conventional MRI unit consists of a tube that resembles a cylinder, with a circular magnet surrounding it. During an exam, the patient slides into the center of the magnet. Some units, short-bore systems, are designed so that the magnet does not surround the patient. Larger patients or patients with claustrophobia could benefit from the newer MRI machines with larger diameter bores. Some MRI units are open on the sides and provide clear and high-quality images for many physical exams. However, an open MRI is only suitable for specific exams. Some exams must be performed on an enclosed MRI machine. Your radiologist will advise you about the ideal MRI equipment.

Understanding the MRI Procedure

Unlike a computer tomography (CT) scan and x-ray, an MRI does not use radiation. Instead, it uses radio waves that realign the hydrogen atoms that exist in the body naturally. The hydrogen atoms release different energy amounts depending on the body tissue they are in. The MRI machine captures this energy and produces a picture using the information. Most MRI units work by passing a current through wire coils. The coils are often placed in the machine but may also be placed around the body part being examined. By sending and receiving radio waves, the coils produce signals that are detected by the device.

A computer processes the signals from the MRI machine and creates a series of images that the radiologist can study from different angles. An MRI is more effective than a CT scan, ultrasound, and x-ray in telling the difference between healthy and diseased tissue.

An Outpatient Procedure

An MRI exam is performed on an outpatient basis. The MRI technologist positions the patient on a movable table. The MRI technologist may use bolsters or straps to allow the patient to maintain their position and stay still. The MRI technologist may place devices that send or receive radio waves close to the body part being examined. Usually, MRI scans involve several runs, some of which last for a few minutes. If a contrast substance is necessary, the technologist, nurse, or doctor will insert an IV line into a vein on the patient's hand and use it to inject the contract material.

After placing the patient into the MRI unit, the technologist performs the MRI examination while working on a computer screen outside the exam room. If contrast is needed, the technologist injects it into the IV line after several scans. The technologist then takes more images during and after the contrast injection. After the exam, the technologist may request you to wait as they check the images just in case they need to take more images. The technologist removes the IV line after the examination is complete. Usually, an MRI examination takes around one hour but may take longer depending on your situation.

What Happens During An MRI Procedure And After

An MRI examination is painless, even if some patients find it hard to stay still during the scan. Some patients are claustrophobic and might feel closed in during the procedure. The scanner might be a bit noisy. If you are anxious about undergoing an MRI scan, sedation may be necessary though most patients do not require it. The body area being examined will feel slightly warm. If the warmth bothers you, you should inform the technologist or the radiologist.

During an MRI scan, the patient needs to stay still for quality images. A scan lasts several seconds to a few minutes at a time. When the technologist is taking the picture, you will hear tapping or thumping sounds. This noise occurs due to the activation of the coils that produce the radio waves. The technologist may provide you with headphones or earplugs to reduce the scanner's sounds and allow you to relax between imaging sequences. There are appropriately sized headphones and earplugs for children, and music is often played through the earphones to help pass the time. You should do your best to maintain a constant position without moving too much.

The patient will be alone in the MRI room. However, the radiologist or technologist sees, hears, and speaks with the patient during the entire procedure via a two-way intercom. Many MRI facilities may allow a friend or a relative to stay in the room during the scan, but only if the person has been screened for safety.

If the MRI technologist administers the contrast injection, the IV needle might cause mild discomfort. A patient might also experience skin irritation or sensitivity at the site of the IV line insertion. After contrast injection, it is normal to have a temporary metallic taste in your mouth.

A recovery period is not necessary if a patient does not receive sedation. The patient can resume their normal diet and daily activities immediately after an MRI scan. Some patients might have side effects of the contrast material, but this is very rare. The side effects of contrast injection may include nausea, headache, or pain at the target site. In addition, a patient may experience itchiness in the eyes, hives alongside other allergic reactions in some rare cases due to injection with contrast material. You should inform the doctor or the technologist if you experience allergic reactions to ensure that you receive immediate assistance.

The Interpretation Of MRI Results

A trained doctor or radiologist interprets the MRI results and analyzes the images. The radiologist then sends a report to the referring physician or a primary healthcare provider, who then shares the findings with a patient. At times, follow-up MRI exams may be necessary if an abnormality requires further examination. Your doctor may recommend a follow-up MRI to determine if there is any change in the abnormality. Follow-up MRIs are a great way to help doctors determine whether a particular treatment is effective or not.

The Key Advantages Of An MRI Scan

The key benefits of MRI exams are:

• It’s a non-invasive procedure that doesn’t expose a patient to radiation
• The images of MRI scans are more detailed and more precise than those from other imaging methods
• MRIs are effective in diagnosing diverse medical conditions
• MRIs reveals abnormalities that could be obscured by bone while using different imaging techniques
• The gadolinium contrast material commonly used in MRIs is not likely to cause allergic reactions
• MRI scans can help assess blood flow without adverse side effects
• MRI of the chest is more informative than other imaging tests

The Main Risks of MRI Examinations

If an average patient follows all the recommended safety guidelines, an MRI scan poses almost no risk. However, some of the potential risks include:

• The medics will monitor your vital organs to minimize the risk of using too much sedation.
• The strong magnetic fields could lead to the malfunction of implanted medical devices.
• Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, a complication associated with injection of gadolinium contrast, may occur, but it's rare.
• A slight risk of allergic reaction due to use of contrast

Find An MRI Expert Near Me

If you plan to undergo an MRI of the chest, you should ensure that you choose the right clinic with modern MRI equipment. Los Angeles Diagnostics provides quality MRI services at an affordable cost. Contact us at 323-486-7502 and talk to our representatives today.