Chest MRI

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MRI scans

Vertebra, thoracic (mid back)

Nuclear magnetic resonance - chest; Magnetic resonance imaging - chest; NMR - chest; MRI of the thorax

A normal MRI would not show any abnormalities in the size or position of organs in the chest cavity, as viewed from any angle. The MRI would not reveal any new growths or lesions. Organs would appear to be functioning normally (for those organs where MRI can show function).

The sensitivity of MRI depends, in part, on the experience of the radiologist.

A chest MRI may reveal disorders including:

• Thymus tumor
• Lung masses
• Esophageal mass (clumping together of cells in the esophagus)
• Other masses or tumors of the chest
• Abnormal lymph nodes
• Swollen glands and enlarged lymph nodes in any location of the chest
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Bronchial abnormalities
• Bronchiectasis
• Cystic lung lesions
• Pleural abnormalities, including thickening or pleural effusion
• Abnormal pulmonary vessels
• Coarctation of the aorta
• Aortic stenosis
• Aortic dissection
• Pericardial effusion
• Thoracic aortic aneurysm

• Atrial myxoma
• Atrial septal defect
• Cardiac tamponade
• Ischemic cardiomyopathy
• Mitral regurgitation - acute
• Mitral regurgitation - chronic
• Staging of tumors including invasion of blood vessels
• Mitral valve prolapse
• Bacterial pericarditis
• Constrictive pericarditis
• Pericarditis after heart attack
• Pulmonary edema
• Restrictive cardiomyopathy
• Skin lesion of histoplasmosis
• SVC obstruction

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.