MRI scan (magnetic resonance imaging) in Niš

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, sometimes called MR) is a diagnostic test that uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body. A computer uses the signals to build cross-sectional images in several planes, so the radiologist can examine the tissue layer by layer.

MRI does not use X-rays (ionising radiation). It is particularly good at showing soft tissues: the brain, spinal cord, discs and nerves, muscles, tendons, ligaments and cartilage, as well as the organs of the abdomen and pelvis.

You lie on a moving table that slides into the scanner. A coil, the part of the scanner that receives the signal, is placed over the area being scanned. The scan is painless, but the scanner makes loud knocking and buzzing noises while it is working. This noise is expected and does not mean that anything is wrong, and you are given ear protection because of it.

You are usually referred for an MRI scan by your GP (family doctor) or a specialist, when an ultrasound or X-ray does not give enough information for a diagnosis or for monitoring. The areas most often scanned are the head, spine, joints, the organs of the abdomen and pelvis, the breasts, prostate, heart and the blood vessels of the head and neck.

MRI is also used for follow-up after treatment or surgery, when the doctor wants to compare images over time. Unlike a CT scan (MSCT), MRI does not use X-rays, but the scan takes longer. The doctor decides which scan is right for you, based on a clinical examination and previous results.

According to the radiology price list, the following MRI scans are carried out at Maja Radiology:

• Head and neck: brain, pituitary gland, orbits (eye sockets), paranasal sinuses, soft tissues of the neck, MR angiography of the blood vessels of the head and neck, and a brain scan combined with head and neck angiography, with or without venography
• Spine and nerves: cervical (neck), thoracic (upper and middle back) and lumbosacral (lower back) spine, two spinal segments, the whole spine, brachial plexus (the network of nerves supplying the shoulder and arm)
• Joints and limbs: shoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, hips, thigh, knee, lower leg, ankle, foot
• Abdomen and pelvis: abdomen, MRCP (bile ducts), MR enterography (bowel), MR urography (urinary tract), pelvis with targeted images, prostate
• Breasts and heart: breast MRI and cardiac MRI
• Whole-body MRI. This scan is usually done on a doctor's recommendation, for specific conditions. Professional radiology associations do not recommend whole-body MRI as a screening test for people who have no symptoms and no increased risk.

Prices for the scans and additional items are shown in the table on this page. The radiologist decides which scanning protocol is needed.

Many MRI scans are done without contrast. For some scans, the radiologist recommends a contrast agent, because it makes blood vessels, areas of inflammation and certain tissues show up more clearly.

The contrast is given into a vein in your arm through a thin plastic tube (cannula), usually during the second part of the scan. Some people feel a brief cold sensation where the needle went in, and less often mild nausea, a headache or a metallic taste. Allergic reactions to MRI contrast agents are rare, and you are monitored by staff throughout the scan.

Before a scan with contrast, kidney function is usually checked with a creatinine blood test. Tell the staff in advance if you have had a reaction to contrast before, if you have asthma or severe allergies, if you have kidney disease, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. The doctor decides whether contrast is used.

For clear images, you need to keep still throughout the scan. For people who cannot lie still for long, and generally also for young children, the doctor may suggest a scan under sedation. Deep sedation is usually given and monitored by an anaesthetist.

A scan under sedation needs special preparation: fasting as instructed, coming with someone to accompany you and a short stay under observation after the scan. The radiology price list includes a separate item for deep sedation during an MRI scan. Please check when booking on 018 530 530 whether scans under sedation are also done for children, from what age and under what conditions.

This is what an MRI scan usually involves, step by step:

• You come to Vizantijski bulevar 39 in Niš and check in at reception.
• You fill in a short safety questionnaire: implants, previous operations, metal in the body, pregnancy, allergies.
• You leave metal objects, your phone and bank cards outside the scanner room and, if needed, change your clothes.
• If contrast is planned, a cannula is placed in a vein in your arm.
• You lie on the table, usually on your back. A coil is placed over the area being scanned and you are given ear protection. Before the scan starts, the radiographer explains how to let them know if you need anything during the scan.
• It is important to keep still during the scan. The radiographer monitors the scan from the next room.
• After a scan without sedation you go home, and after sedation you stay under observation for a short time. A specialist radiologist reviews the images and writes the report.

The scanner's magnetic field is usually on all the time, so nothing metal is taken into the scanner room. Before the scan, you must tell the staff if you have any of the following in or on your body:

• a pacemaker or implanted defibrillator
• a cochlear implant, neurostimulator or a valve (shunt) in the head
• an insulin pump, glucose sensor or any other implanted or external device
• clips from surgery on the blood vessels of the brain or other metal clips, a stent or an artificial heart valve
• an artificial joint, screws, plates, metal fragments (for example in the eye) or shrapnel

Also tell the staff if you are wearing a medicated patch or clothing with metallic threads, for example some sports tops, because they can heat up during the scan.

Many implants allow MRI under certain conditions, but the radiologist decides on the basis of the documentation. So please bring your implant card or hospital discharge summary with details of the device. Tattoos and permanent make-up rarely cause a feeling of warmth; if you feel stinging or warmth during the scan, tell the radiographer. If you are or could be pregnant, say so when booking.