5 Common Diagnoses from MRI Scans
If you find yourself in need of medical imaging or MRI services, the journey may seem long and uncertain. With a talented and knowledgeable care team, you should receive answers and a treatment plan that will get you back to your normal activities.
While everyone’s health journey is different, there are common diagnoses from MRI scans that some patients tend to receive after their medical imaging appointment.
What is an MRI?
What to know before your MRI appointment
An MRI scan or magnetic resonance imaging is a non-invasive procedure that a patient may need for diagnoses or as a part of their treatment plan.
Read more about our MRI services at NuChoice Imaging.
Before your MRI appointment, your technician or doctor will explain how long the scan will last as well as some guidelines and things to know before your appointment. The length of the scan can vary depending on the part of the body receiving imaging. During your MRI scan appointment, you will lay on a flat table that moves in and out of a cylindrical tube where the MRI takes place. After your MRI scan, your physicians will meet with you to discuss the results.
Read more about how MRIs work and why you might need one.
How do I get my diagnosis?
Receiving your diagnosis
After your MRI appointment, either a doctor or a radiologist will read your scans. After a radiologist reviews your scans, they will then make a diagnosis or identify what the scan revealed. Your doctor, before contacting you with the results, will also have a look at the scans and either agree or disagree with the radiologists’ diagnosis.
Depending on the severity of the diagnosis or the reason for the scan how soon you might hear back from your doctor. When patients receive their diagnoses from MRI scans it can reveal a number of things about the patient's health.
Injuries
Joints, Ligaments, and Bones
You never expect it, but when injuries come about, they are sure to make themselves the only thing in your life you can focus on. Rather than allowing your injury to continue interfering with your day-to-day activities, an MRI might be just what the doctor ordered.
When diagnosing an injury, the best plan of action may not be by consultation or any other type of imaging. MRI scans are preferred due to the fact that MRI machines can identify bone stress fractures, soft tissue injury, and muscle damage. MRI scans can be extremely useful for making and confirming a diagnosis of injuries in the human body.
At NuChoice Imaging, we require a doctor’s order before your appointment in our facilities. Talk to your doctor today about choosing NuChoice Imaging for your MRI scan.
Cancer
MRI machines can be useful for diagnosing some forms of cancer. Whether the radiologist or doctor is using contrast dye or just performing a regular scan, tumors can be diagnosed as cancerous or benign and the MRI can reveal if cancer has spread throughout the body.
Some cancers that can be diagnosed by MRI scans are prostate cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, uterine cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer, and brain cancer.
Besides just diagnosing cancers, MRIs are able to view and produce images that show brain tumors, bone tumors, tumors of the spine, tumors of the pelvic organs, and soft tissue sarcomas. The MRI scan can also reveal the stage of cancer you may have, how your current treatment may be going, and distinguish cancerous and noncancerous masses.
Following the MRI scan, your doctor will prescribe a plan of action if the scans reveal any type of cancer or tumor.
MS
MS or Multiple Sclerosis is a “central nervous system disorder that affects the brain and spinal cord” according to The Cleveland Clinic. When diagnosing MS, an MRI scan or a spinal tap are often used first with MRIs being the most used technique. Apart from diagnosing the disease, MRIs can be used for monitoring the progression or status of the doctors and patient. The MS lesions found within the brain stem, the spinal cord, and the optic nerve are most detectable by MRI.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease that affects women causing cells within the uterine lining to grow to cause pain and difficulty with fertility. Diagnosing Endometriosis can be done with a pelvic MRI to take images of the growths that are caused within the pelvic. When diagnosing Endometriosis, the patient's doctor might order a pelvic ultrasound in addition to the MRI order. The MRI scan will be able to detect the deeper sections of the bowel and pelvic ligaments making it preferable.
While an order from your doctor for an MRI does not mean your diagnosis will be any one of these diseases or a disease at all. It is good to know what to expect before your appointment as well as potential diagnoses. This will help you with any conversations that you may have with your care team or your doctor during your appointment. These common diagnoses from MRI scans are typically what a doctor might find during an MRI scan.
Contact Us Today
If your doctor has recommended that you receive an MRI scan, NuChoice Imaging is your best option for the appointment. With state-of-the-art technology used in our facilities along with a strong team of staff, NuChoice is the best choice in Midland, Texas for MRI services. All we need is your doctor's referral and you’re on your way to an easy and relaxed experience at NuChoice.
NuChoice Imaging
2106 Midland Dr Ste. 101, Midland, TX 79707
432-535-9729
Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM