Are you curious to see what your belly looks like? Abdominal MRI is a procedure which uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create pictures of what is present inside your belly. This is a non-invasive method.
To get an abdominal MRI done, you need to wear a hospital gown or any loose clothing which does not have any metal fasteners as they may interfere with the accuracy of the report. Once you lie down for the test, small coils may be placed on the area which needs to be studied. These coils send radio waves and also improve the quality of the images.
Several sets of images are taken in about 15-20 minutes. For some images, a dye may be injected in your body for more accuracy of certain parts of the abdomen.
An abdominal MRI test is a painless and safe procedure. It is as simple as a sonography. Just like the abdominal MRI, a CT scan is also a non-invasive method that combines special X-ray machines with sophisticated computers to produce images of your body parts like the bones, internal organs, soft tissues, and blood vessels.
Before you go for an abdominal MRI, you need to clean your bowels. Your doctor may suggest a laxative for this. You need to fast for at least 4-6 hours before the scan. You are not supposed to drink water during this period.
In case you have undergone a procedure like inner ear implants, joint surgery, heart valve correction or any brain procedure, you need to inform the radiologist in advance to make sure that the results are accurate.
Just like in an abdominal MRI, you are required to wear loose and comfortable clothing for CT scan. Similarly, any metal objects can interfere with the results. You need to inform the doctor if you are allergic to any medicine or are suffering from medical conditions like diabetes, asthma, kidney problems, thyroid issues or heart disease.
You are supposed to fast before going in for a CT scan, just as you would for an abdominal MRI.
This test helps in determining the following factors:
A CT scan helps diagnose health issues like cardiovascular disease, cancer, infectious disease, trauma, and muscoskeletal disorders. It also helps in identifying injuries pertaining to hands, lungs, spleen, liver, kidneys, bowels, and other organs of the body. It helps measure the bone density for osteoporosis.
Both the tests belong to the same family and the guidelines are the same.