THEIRM Abdominal (magnetic resonance imaging) is a medical examination used for diagnostic purposes and performed by a large cylindrical device in which a magnetic field is produced. MRI uses powerful magnets and radio waves to obtain images of the interior of the body (here the abdomen), in any plane of space. The goal is to visualize the various organs of the abdominal region and to identify any abnormalities concerning them.

MRI can discriminate between different soft tissues, and thus to obtain a maximum of details in theanatomy of the abdomen.

Note that this technique does not use X-rays, as is the case with radiography for example.

The doctor prescribes an abdominal MRI to detect pathologies in the organs present in the abdomen: the liver, the waist rates, pancreas, etc.

Thus, the examination is used to diagnose or evaluate:

• le blood flow, the state of blood vessels in the abdomen

• the cause of a abdominal pain or a abnormal mass

• the cause of abnormal blood test results, such as liver or kidney problems

• the presence of lymph nodes

• the presence of you die, their size, their severity or their degree of spread.

The patient is lying on a narrow table. It slides into a large cylindrical device resembling a wide tunnel. The medical staff, placed in another room, manages the movements of the table on which the patient is placed using a remote control and communicates with him through a microphone.

The medical staff may ask the patient to hold their breath as the images are taken, so that they are of the best possible quality. Note that when the images are taken, the machine emits quite loud noises.

In some cases (to check the blood circulation, the presence of some types of tumors or to discern an area ofinflammation), a “dye” can be used. It is then injected into a vein before the exam.

Abdominal MRI can help doctors identify different kinds of diseases, such as:

• un abscess

• the presence of an enlarged, atrophied or poorly located organ

• a sign ofinfection

• the presence of a tumor, which may be benign or cancerous

• a internal bleeding

• a bulge in the wall of a blood vessel (aneurysm), a blockage or narrowing of a blood vessel

• a blockage in the bile ducts or in ducts connected to the kidneys

• or an obstruction of the venous or arterial system in one of the organs of the abdomen

Thanks to this examination, the doctor will be able to specify his diagnosis and propose an adapted treatment.