MRI offers greater safety than X-rays, says doctor

Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, March 9

The National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA) organised a seminar on the topic ‘MRI in clinical use’. Dr J Edmund Moses was guest speaker. Dr S K Bansal, Dr AK Dhanuka and Dr Manikant Singla were the special guests.

President of Association, Dr Rajesh Thapar said MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) could be used to evaluate brain, neck, and spinal cord problems.

Dr Thapar further added that functional MRI (fMRI), breast scans, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), magnetic resonance venography (MRV), cardiac MRI are common magnetic resonance imaging examinations.

Dr Edmund said MRI was a non-invasive imaging technique that does not involve exposure to ionising radiation. MRI can help physicians evaluate the structures of brain and can also provide functional information in selected cases. Annotated MR images help the reader quickly identify and interpret images of normal and pathological anatomy.

“An MRI scan is a painless radiology technique that has the advantage of avoiding X-ray radiation exposure. There are no known side effects of an MRI scan. MRI is also safe for pregnant women and is safer for the foetus than imaging with X-rays or computed tomography (CT),” he said.

He also said patients with artificial heart valves, metallic ear implants, bullet fragments, and chemotherapy or insulin pumps should not have MRI scanning.