MRI (english)

Your doctor suggested a radiology examination. It will be carried out with your consent. You have indeed the right to accept or refuse it. Information is given to you about the process of the examination. The radiologist is qualified to judge whether this examination is useful to
answer to the diagnosed problem raised by your doctor. Though, this examination may not solve it all.

MRI does not use x-rays

It is a non-irradiant examination using magnetic fields properties.

This technology uses strength and no particular consequence has ever been described for man.

What is it?

MRI means Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

The word magnetic means there is a magnet in the machine; the word resonance means that we will use radiofrequency waves like those of mobile phones to make the many hydrogen nucleus composing your body tissues vibrate; and then create images.

The process of the examination

When you arrive, you'll be asked some questions, like when you got your appointment : the most important is to tell us whether you have a pacemaker, a cardiac valve nor any element containing iron near your eyes or in your head.

To get the best quality images, you will be told which clothes you need to take off. You'll keep no button, fastener, hair slide or metallic zip. In the changing room, you'll leave your jewellery, watch, keys, purse, magnetic stripe cards (such as transport and credit cards) and
your mobile phone.

You'll enter a room that will be locked during the examination. You will be lying down on a bed that moves into a kind of tunnel, like most of these machines; you'll be mostly on your back and alone in the exam room. We can communicate with you thanks to a microphone. In any case, the team is quite close to you, behind a window. They can see and hear you during all the exam. If you want to call us, we'll place a buzzer in your hand. We can intervene or stop the exam, if need be.

You will stay between 15 and 30 minutes in the exam room. You have to cooperate : you must try to stay perfectly still; in some cases, we may ask you, via the microphone, to stop breathing for a few seconds. At this precise moment, you'll hear a repeated noise, like the one
of a boat engine or a drum during what is called a sequence. Some examinations require an intravenous injection, mostly inside the elbow.

What you will feel

The exam is painless but it is often a bit long and the noise may be unpleasant.

The feeling of being ill at ease in fear of being locked (claustrophobia) is a usual issue that we know well. We can often reduce it with simple means, without any treatment. If you are, for example, ill at ease in a lift, please tell it quickly to the reception staff so that we can take charge of you more particularly.

An injection for MRI : how and which risks?

The mostly used contrast medium is based on Gadolinium.

This product is generally well tolerated. Some unoriginal allergies are possible (rash).Very serious allergic reactions are really exceptional. The shot may lead to a small and minor hematoma that will resolve itself within a few days.

During the injection, under the pressure, a leak of the product may occur under the skin near the vein. This complication is rare - a case in hundreds of injections, generally without serious consequence - a local treatment may then be exceptionally carried out.