Global News features PocketHealth Basic: Free access to medical imaging records
May 1, 2024
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An MRI is a medical imaging technique that helps doctors diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries. The detailed images MRI scans produce can help doctors pinpoint issues with your central nervous system, heart and other organs, bones or soft tissue and more.
An MRI report contains medical acronyms and terms you may not be familiar with. Waiting to receive the results from the radiology department and review them with your referring physician can be nerve-wracking.
PocketHealth can be used to access your imaging report, to understand complex radiology terminology and determine the best next steps for your care. Access your records here.
This article will define some of the most common terms in your MRI report so you don’t have to stress before your appointment and can have more informed follow-up conversations with your healthcare team.
MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. A non-invasive imaging technique, MRIs use powerful magnets and radio waves to create highly detailed images of the inner structures of your body. This differs from imaging modalities like CT scans, which use low-dose radiation to produce images.
With an MRI, you’re inserted into a machine that produces a magnetic field that aligns the protons in your body in the same direction. Then radio waves send the protons back to their normal alignment. The MRI machine analyzes the energy released as protons realign to their base state and uses the data to produce detailed MRI images.
After completing your MRI scan, the technician will forward the images to a radiologist for interpretation. The resulting radiology report will be sent to your referring physician, who will schedule a follow-up appointment with you.
PocketHealth gives you secure, early access to your MRI scan images and report, often as soon as they are released by the imaging clinic or hospital diagnostic imaging department. What follows are explanations of some of the terms you might see in the radiologist’s report.
MRI images are taken from 3 different angles across different planes of your body. These cross-sectional images provide the radiologist with a detailed 360° overview. The 3 cross-sectional views are:
A T1-weighted MRI uses the rate of energy released as protons resume alignment (T1 relaxation) to create images. T1 images better show the anatomy of soft tissues of the body.
A T2-weighted MRI uses the oscillation of protons during the process (T2 relaxation) to create images. T2 images more accurately show the composition and placement of water molecules in tissue, highlighting cysts, fluids and swelling.
Together, T1 and T2 images provide doctors with complementary diagnostic information.
A low (hypointense) T1 signal compared to surrounding muscular or skeletal tissue often indicates bone lesions.
An increased (hyperintense) T2 signal can indicate a lesion in soft tissue.
Signal intensity is the level of brightness in an area of an MRI image. The variance in signal intensity can highlight the difference between an affected area and the surrounding tissue, leading to a successful diagnosis.
The level of signal intensity in an MRI image depends on the radiofrequency pulse used in the MRI machine, as well as the proton density and T1 or T2 qualities of various tissues.
What low signal intensity indicates depends on what pulse sequence is used. Fat, for example, is bright (meaning it has high signal intensity) in T1-weighted images. But fat and water and both bright in T2-weighted images.
MRIs often require the use of a contrast agent, to make the fine detail of blood vessels, organs or soft tissues more apparent. The contrast agent alters the magnetic properties of water in your body, which improves the clarity of your images.
Most MRI contrast agents are derived from gadolinium, a rare earth metal, and injected by IV before an MRI scan.
Enhancement refers to the increase of signal intensity due to the absorption of the contrast agent. Areas of increased blood flow, such as tumors, also have increased uptake of the contrast material.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the more common abnormal findings in MRI reports. Rest assured that none of these findings automatically mean cancer.
The results of your MRI can help doctors diagnose various medical conditions, including:
Depending on the findings of your MRI scan, your healthcare provider may refer you for more imaging (such as a CT scan or ultrasound). Confirmation of your diagnosis may require a biopsy.
With PocketHealth, you get fast and secure access to your MRI results from any device. You can easily view your MRI images and reports from any device, and even share them in diagnostic quality with specialists you want to obtain a second opinion.
PocketHealth’s Report Reader can help you better understand the findings in the radiologist’s report by providing easy-to-understand definitions of complex medical terms. MyCare Navigator detects and highlights follow-up recommendations and provides you with personalized questions to ask your doctor.
If you find it stressful to wait for the results of an MRI, you’re not alone: more than half of Canadian patients say waiting for the results of an MRI or CT scan induces anxiety. Understanding the medical images and findings in your MRI report can help reduce that anxiety.
Knowledge is more than just power–having more information about a potential diagnosis helps you move forward with confidence. When you know where you stand, you can be well-informed for follow-up appointments and prepared to advocate for yourself on the next steps in your healthcare journey.
Learn more about how to use PocketHealth to access and share your MRI records.
