Contents
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a procedure for obtaining visual images using nuclear magnetic resonance. The method is based on the change in the magnetic properties of hydrogen atoms depending on its environment with other atoms and molecules.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the abdominal cavity and retroperitoneal space is a diagnostic method that allows you to assess the condition, size, structure of organs. The method is used for dynamic monitoring of the pathological state of internal organs, allows you to assess the features of the disease and outline ways to solve the problem. The most important advantage of MRI is the ability to obtain different images of the monitored organ from different angles of view, different depths and slices.
Indications for diagnosis
Without the use of contrast, any MRI of the abdominal cavity is recognized as absolutely safe for the body. Magnetic resonance imaging does not use radiation, which significantly distinguishes diagnostics from classical fluoroscopy. Magnetic fields during MRI are not capable of causing any adverse reactions in the body, therefore this study is allowed to be performed on children.
MRI of the abdominal cavity and retroperitoneal space is performed for defects and anomalies of the organs of this area, inflammatory processes, impaired blood circulation, diseases of the liver, pancreas, gallbladder. This type of study helps specialists to establish the presence and stage of development of oncological processes, distinguish between malignant and benign neoplasms, detect metastases, and fix the boundaries of tumors.
Doctors recommend MRI when detected on ultrasound or in a laboratory study of suspicion of tissue damage, inflammation, abnormal structure, cancer, vascular pathologies in the abdominal cavity. Also, this highly informative and visualized examination will be appropriate in the presence of symptoms of diseases that cannot be diagnosed by other methods, during subsequent surgical procedures after diagnosis, if necessary, to determine the nature of neoplasms in the abdominal organs, if it is impossible to perform contrast urography, to determine the presence and type of kidney stones and cholangiography in cholelithiasis, to evaluate tumor therapy.
Before an MRI, you should definitely consult a doctor, since the presence of metal-containing implants in the body is a very strict contraindication for MRI of the abdominal cavity and retroperitoneal organs. The magnetic field of the tomograph heats the metal in the parts and leads to their deformation, as well as to burns at the place of their contact with the tissues of the body. It is also impossible to perform tomography in the presence of mental illness, since during the procedure noise effects may appear, and the patient needs to be in the confined space of the tomograph, which becomes a real problem for those suffering from claustrophobia. When using a contrast agent (gadolinium), the diagnosis is contraindicated in those who require hemodialysis, as well as in persons who have been diagnosed with intolerance to this substance.
Types of MRI studies of the area in question
Today, several types of MRI of the abdominal cavity are performed in diagnostic centers:
- survey examination;
- tomography of the abdominal cavity with or without the use of a contrast agent;
- magnetic resonance angiography of the vascular system;
- MRI of arteries and venous sinuses.
During a general examination, the spleen, stomach, liver, intestines, pancreatic ducts, bile ducts, vessels, tissues of the cingulate region, lymph nodes, pancreas, kidneys, genitourinary system, adrenal glands are tested. With MRI of the abdominal cavity, it is possible to assess the nature of the interaction of internal organs
Preparing and conducting an MRI
A few days before the proposed tomography of the abdominal cavity, it is important to adhere to a carbohydrate-free diet, and the day before it is necessary to refuse to eat fruits, vegetables, black bread, soda, coffee and tea. You need to come to the diagnostics in comfortable clothes without metal elements.
8 hours before the scheduled magnetic resonance imaging, you can not eat anything, and 5 hours – and drink liquids. Before testing, doctors recommend that patients take Espumizan and activated charcoal. Immediately before the examination, the patient takes antispasmodic drugs, and if he has a fear of a closed space, he should also drink a sedative. If there is a history of hypermobility, MRI is performed under general anesthesia.
Magnetic resonance imaging is based on the properties and specifics of the magnetic field, as well as its interaction with hydrogen atoms in the human body. During the study, the patient is inside a cone-like apparatus, open at both ends, or inside an apparatus with an open circuit. Magnetic waves begin to be absorbed by the human body and interact with hydrogen atoms, as a result of which the cell nuclei form an image on a computer monitor connected to a tomograph. A personal computer processes incoming data and builds ultra-precise multidimensional images of human systems and organs.
MRI of the abdominal cavity can last from 20 minutes, the time depends on the number of organs considered during the examination.
Diagnostic results
The interpretation of the obtained images as a result of MRI is carried out by a qualified specialist. He gives a written opinion, a conclusion recorded on a digital medium, and provides the patient with all the images taken during the tomography. All this takes about an hour after the procedure.
The magnetic resonance imaging itself of the considered parts of the body demonstrates congenital anomalies of development, or formed as a result of injuries, inflammatory processes and oncological diseases.
Currently, MRI is widely used to diagnose various pathological conditions of the body.