MRI with Contrast: What to Expect and How to Prepare

For full visibility into your internal soft tissues and structures, your doctor might refer you for an MRI scan. Some MRIs include the use of a contrast agent. This post will explain what an MRI with contrast is, what it shows, how to prepare for one, and how to understand your results.

After an MRI with contrast, your doctor will share your official diagnosis and treatment plan at your follow-up appointment. But with PocketHealth, you can have secure, early access to your MRI images and report, so you can attend your follow-up fully informed and prepared to advocate for yourself.

 

 

What is an MRI?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a safe, non-invasive medical imaging test which uses radio waves and a strong magnetic field to capture detailed views of your internal organs and tissues.

The magnetic field temporarily disrupts the alignment of your body’s protons, then the radio waves spin the protons back into alignment. The MRI machine analyzes the energy and time it takes for the protons to realign, then uses that data to create detailed images of your internal anatomy.

 

What is an MRI with contrast?

Some MRIs use contrast, a type of dye, to heighten any disparities. The contrast agent changes the magnetic properties of the water molecules inside your body, which improves the quality of the MRI images.

Whether or not your MRI will require contrast depends on what body part is being scanned and your personal health and circumstances. The contrast agent is usually derived from gadolinium, which is excreted through the kidneys. Patients with poor kidney function usually have non-contrast MRIs, as do pregnant women. Orthopedic (skeletal) MRIs often don’t require the use of a contrast agent, nor do several types of brain MRI. But for many other types of MRI, a contrast agent significantly increases image clarity.

 

What does an MRI with contrast show?

The contrast agent brightens the appearance of targeted tissues during an MRI, providing doctors with more detail about the desired areas. Not every MRI requires the use of a contrast agent, but some do, including MRIs for:

• Blood vessels: The contrast agent improves the visibility in blood vessels, making it easier for doctors to monitor blood flow, inflammation and tumors.
• Cancer: A contrast agent highlights the disparity between types of cells and tissues, making the progression of cancer easier to locate and track.
• Internal organs: By boosting the contrast, the agent can augment the clarity of bladder, heart, kidney, liver, lung and spleen MRIs.
• Spinal conditions: The use of a contrast agent heightens the ability to identify infected discs, osteomyelitis or spinal lesions.

 

Common types of MRI scans

MRIs capture clear and detailed images of soft tissues. They’re often used to diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries in the ligaments, muscles, organs and tendons, as well as:

• Abdominal MRI: Can locate abscesses, blockages and ulcers in the stomach, intestines, gall bladder, etc.
• Brain MRI: Can reveal any damage due to aneurysm, injury or stroke.
• Breast MRI: Can identify areas of concern sooner than other tests, provide further information after an inconclusive mammogram, or assist in a biopsy of breast tissue.
• Cardiac MRI: Can assess blood flow and tissue damage after a heart attack.
• Orthopedic MRI: Can identify and locate infection and injury in bones.
• Pelvic MRI: Can help doctors diagnose and locate abscesses, cysts, fibroids, ulcers and more.

 

How is an MRI with contrast performed?

Once you’ve arrived and checked into the clinic, you’ll be asked to remove any jewelry and metal and change into a hospital gown. If you would like a sedative, this is also when you’ll receive it. Then, the contrast material will be administered, usually by IV but possibly by mouth as pills or an oral solution.

The MRI machine is a large round tube with a table that slides in and out. The MRI technologist will direct you on how to lie on the table according to which body part is being scanned. You have to stay very still during an MRI, so the technician might use blocks or straps to keep you perfectly positioned. You’ll be given earphones through which the technician can communicate with you.

The exam table will slide into the machine. MRI machines are loud, banging and knocking as they work. The earphones help block some of that out and may even allow you to listen to music instead. They also allow the technician to relay any instructions, and you might be asked to shift position, or hold your breath.

Your MRI scan can take anywhere from 15-60 minutes, or even longer, depending on the body part being examined.

 

How to prepare for your MRI appointment

An MRI is a safe, non-invasive scan, but there are things you can do to feel prepared and ready for your procedure.

Tips before your scan

Here are a few things to do before the day of your appointment:

• Read your requisition carefully: Your requisition may contain special instructions concerning your diet or medications. Ask the clinic for clarity if you’re unsure.
• Tell the clinic if you are pregnant: Pregnancy may require adaptations on the clinic’s part.
• Let them know if you have implants or metals you cannot remove: The technicians can make accommodation for pacemakers, artificial joints, etc. Also inform the clinic if you work or have worked with metals (e.g. welding) or have tattoos.
• Inform your doctor if you have claustrophobia: The MRI machine is an enclosed space; you can get a sedative if you are claustrophobic.

Tips the day of your scan

Here are some tips to help your MRI appointment proceed smoothly.

• Bring your requisition form: Your requisition has important information for the imaging clinic. You should also bring your health or insurance card.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothes: You’ll likely have to remove some or all of your clothing, depending what body part is being scanned, so wear something easy to get in or out of.
• Remove jewelry and metal objects: Metal can interfere with your scan, so remove all jewelry, buckles, zippers, etc. Let the technician know if you have any jewelry you cannot remove.
• Ask for a relaxant if needed: If you’re claustrophobic, a sedative can help you relax in the MRI machine.

 

Getting your results

Your MRI technologist is not allowed to discuss the findings of your scan with you. This section outlines how your results are produced, how long it takes to get them, and how to understand them.

Who interprets my results?

Your MRI will be interpreted by a trained radiologist, who will forward your images and a report to your referring physician. Your doctor will discuss the results with you at a follow-up appointment.

When will I get my MRI results?

Depending on the radiologist’s schedule, and your doctor’s, it can take up to a week or even longer to receive your MRI results.

With PocketHealth, you get faster access, often as soon as your results are released by the radiologist. And MyCare Navigator can help you prepare you for your follow-up appointment, by highlighting any recommendations in the report and providing you with a list of personalized questions in advance.

 

Understanding my results

Your doctor will officially share the findings of your MRI report with you. Report Reader can also provide clear, easy-to-understand definitions of complex medical terms, and this next section will discuss what general scan findings may look like.

 

MRI findings and terminology

Here are some of the terms and sections you might find in your MRI report:

• Indications: A summary of the reason you were sent for the MRI in the first place.
• Orientation: Describes the 3 cross-sectional views produced by MRI images. The axial is the top to bottom view; the coronal is the frontal view; the sagittal is the left-to-right lateral view.
• Signal intensity: The level of brightness in any given area of an MRI image compared to the surrounding tissue. It can be low or high.
• Enhancement: The increase of signal intensity due to the contrast agent.
• Findings: A list of the radiologist’s observations of any abnormalities, changes, or features.
• Impressions: The conclusion of the MRI report, in which the radiologist provides explanations or diagnoses of the findings.
• Unremarkable: In MRI terms, ‘unremarkable’ is good: it means nothing abnormal or unusual was found.

 

Frequently asked questions

Here are some of the commonly asked questions people have about MRIs with contrast.

Are there any side effects from having an MRI with contrast?

Some patients report feeling temporary effects when the contrast is administered, such as a flush of cold or heat, headache, increased heart rate, itchiness, nausea or shortness of breath but these usually pass very quickly. Severe allergic reactions are possible, but extremely rare.

What is an open MRI?

An open MRI machine is more spacious than a regular MRI machine. It is quieter and less claustrophobic, but it captures images at a lower resolution. Not all imaging clinics have open MRI machines.

How does an MRI compare to a CT scan?

A CT scan uses low-dose X-rays to capture images while an MRI uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves. CT scans provide particularly detailed images of hard structures like bones, while MRIs capture high-quality images of soft tissues. The two techniques are often complementary.

How long does an MRI with contrast take?

The length of your MRI scan depends on what body part is being scanned and why. The imaging itself can last from 15-60 minutes, and the use of contrast agent adds another 15-30 minutes to the process, to allow the dye to fully penetrate your system.

 

Take control of your health journey

The more you know and understand about your condition, the more confident and proactive you can be when advocating for your health. With PocketHealth you can see and even share your MRI images in diagnostic quality as required.

“I wish more people had access to PocketHealth,” says Dan, who was able to expedite a surgical procedure by sharing his images. “It makes you feel empowered. It’s nice to be able to understand what’s going on.” Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with the ability to securely access and store all your medical images and reports in one place.