mri scan without contrast

What more can you see on and MRI with contrast vs. an MRI without contrast?

My doctor ordered a head scan with contrast. When I went, they did a scan without contrast then told me they were not going to do the one with contrast. Is that because everything looked normal or because they could already see an abnormality so didn't need to use the contrast?

As to contrast or no contrast, all visible lesions will appear on an MRI done without contrast. If contrast is added any lesions that are active, or have been active in the last 30 days, will "enhance". This means that they will light up. If you have some lesions that light up and others that do not it means you have had at least 2 episodes. All of this MRI info should help understand how they are a part of an MS diagnosis, not the whole diagnosis.

Well, yes there will be horror stories of contrast creating reactions, but they are not co common. An average man usually can undergo the contrast MRI without any side effects. Also, it provides very useful information about the brain structures, tumors, infarcts etc which could be missed on simple/plain MRI. Headaches after a brain injury can also be due to concussion, and normally CT and MRI are normal. However, yes, MRI should be done to rule out brain injury as the cause.

what is the difference between a MRI with contrast and without for spine and hip injury? This discussion is related to <a href='/posts/show/894466'>MRI's with and without contrast</a>.

I know worry since my exam (MRI) did not use contrast and perhaps a tumor has grown since then, I have been tested for everything and have heard stories on the web where tumors have grown quickly and been missed without contrast and found on a second MRI with contrast. Was this just a misssed observation on the original MRI for these people or did the contrast have anything to do with it.

thanks I did find it you are right I will talk to them I just figure why take the risk if it is not needed

i had mri scan of my brian 3 weeks ago and now want me to have another with the dye injected first . does this mean they have found somehing wrong ?

How long is a mri with ms protocol usually? I had one and it was 20 minutes without contrast and 7 minutes with contrast on a 1.5 tesla is this pretty standard?

My first brain MRI with and without contrast lasted about an hour and a half. They started telling me I had 10 minutes left about 40 minutes before it was actually over with (I think to cheer me up?). I recently had another MRI, without contrast, but of my brain, C-spine and T-spine and it lasted about 25 minutes. It probably depends on the machine, how much I moved (or didn't), and the person doing the test.

Yes, the MRI will show the lesions, regardless of whether there is contrast used. The MRI without contrast will show all visible lesions, with no distinction betwen new and old lesions. The MRI with contrast will show all visible lesions, with the new ones (around 30 days of appearance or so) absorbing the contrast and glowing. The MRI with contrast helps to distinguish the old from the new, and can also be used to establish separation in time for the Mcdondald criteria.

Hi there, although contrast is the best way to go, an MRI without contrast could also be helpful in making the case to your insurance to allow another MRI series to be done with contrast. The MRI w/o contrast won't make a diagnosis inaccurate, it will just make it less than complete as a diagnositic tool. Contrast allows the radiologist to see lesions in a different perspective and helps to determine the age of those lesions and the recent activity levels.

If you do get an MRI make sure you have it done with and without contrast, if not you just wasted a lot of time and money.... and DO NOT just go with what your doctor says. I have seen countless times when docs ASSUME that contrast will be used because it is the STANDARD practice when searching for an acoustic nueroma. Trouble is, the folks running the MRI machine do not know that.

My big question is, is it safe to rule out a tumor from a normal CT Scan with and without contrast and an MRI without contrast coming back normal or do I need to request an MRI with contrast to rule that out? I don't really trust doctors much as they go off of statistics from symptoms, and the statistics my symptoms being from a tumor at my age are VERY low. Any info is highly appreciated.

Brain MRI WITH contrast and focusing specifically on the inner-ear area. An MRI without contrast might show an acoustic neuroma, but I think that to rule out even a small acoustic neuroma, you need to have it done with contrast. (That is the "gold standard.

Hi tjj - Nothing would have shown up on the contrast portion of the MRI that did not show up on the non contrast part. All lesions will show up without contrast. Lesions that are new or active within the last 42 days (thanks Lulu!) will light up in the contrast MRI. The delay could have been for any number of innocent reasons. They could have been reviewing the images to make sure they got all the pics that were ordered. The tech may have been dealing with another patient etc.

The Neurologist thought it would be a demelynating disease, and did and MRI. Which was without contrast since I am allergic to the contrast dye, and it was normal. The MRI only show " small region of encephalomalacia." I have a lot of pain and am very frustrated. Where to next? Does this rule out MS or any suggestions?

His nurse called after we arrived home and now he wants an MRI without. Contrast. What would cause him to want both this close together. I had spine surgery 20 July but still having pain in my back and down my let. Also while in the hospital right after the surgery I caught spinal meninges .

ve been having weird head symtoms.but I had a CT scan without contrast, a MRI without contrast, and a MRI with contrast and all test came back good. I still don't have satisfaction for some reason. Of those test were good can I stop being nervous.

has anyone had a cat scan recommended with contrast, after treatment with alpha 2a & ribavirin? i do not want any contrast medium injected into me & i don't want all the radiation of 3 yrs of background exposure. i am considering a fibroscan. my dr says without using the contrast dye, the ct is worthless. i had 11 months of treatment for 1b hep c. i had 2 blood transfusions in 1982. had a liver bx 2007 under general, before my treatment.

msjazz is right, the 'oral' contrast is used so the radiologist can see the GI tract and such (it helps visualize it better and can identify abnormalities better than without). The IV contrast is used to highlight and identify other organs (for instance, kidneys, etc.) that will not be visible easily without it (it can help identify abnormalities that was as well).

I have just had my appt through for a MRI with contrast of the head and spine. I am feeling very anxious as I am very clausaphobic and will be in the scanner for about an hour. If I get sedated my appt will be longer. How small is the tube?

Mri scan without contrast

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