An MRI is a scan that is done to give doctors more details about what is going on inside the body compared to an x-ray. The test is noninvasive and is generally harmless. Some scans can be done with medications in order to get a view of the veins and arteries to see if there is any blood leaking in the body.
The scan is often done on the brain and spinal cord to detect any kind of injury or illness as these are areas that can be hard to see on other kinds of scans. It can be used to diagnose aneurysms, tumors and any kind of stroke activity that has occurred or if there is any suspicion of a stroke. A functional MRI can be used to look at the language of the brain. This is to determine if there are any delays in communication with the brain and the rest of the body. Those who are candidates for brain surgery often have this kind of MRI done so that doctors can see the areas of the brain that need to be operated on compared to those that need to be left alone.
The MRI can also be done to scan the internal organs. If there has been any kind of injury, such as a car accident, to the body, then the doctor can use the MRI to determine if there are any kinds of bleeds in the organs or if there are any issues with the organs that wouldn’t be present on a CAT scan or an x-ray. This could mean the difference between the person surviving or dying as some injuries are only seen on an MRI, such as a liver laceration or damage to the kidneys.
Doctors can use an MRI to detect bone diseases and abnormalities of the disks in the spine. It can be used to discover conditions of the joints or infections in the bones. Breast cancer can also be detected by using an MRI. There are several imaging centers in NJ where you can go to get an MRI without being in a hospital. This is beneficial for those who only need a simple scan for a diagnosis of a condition.