Chest MRI

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MRI scans

Vertebra, thoracic (mid back)

Excessive movement can blur MRI images and cause errors in the image. If the patient has difficulty lying still or is very anxious, they may be given medicine to relax them (a sedative), by mouth or through a vein. There is no recovery, unless sedation was necessary. After an MRI scan, you can resume normal diet, activity, and medications.

A chest MRI provides detailed pictures of tissues within the chest cavity, without image blocking by overlying bone. It may be used to:

• Clarify findings from previous x-rays or CT scans
• Show the structures of the chest from multiple angles
• Help diagnose abnormal growths and provide information for the staging (such as the size, extent, and spread) of tumors in the chest cavity; MRI can distinguish tumors or other lesions from normal tissues
• Show lymph nodes and blood vessels
• Evaluate blood flow
• Avoid the dangers of angiography, or of repeated exposure to radiation.

Review Date: 10/25/2006
Reviewed By: Stuart Bentley-Hibbert, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.