MRI

The chest, abdomen and pelvis are home to very important organs like the heart, liver and reproductive organs. Body MRIs are used to explore what's happening beneath our skin and to detect the presence of conditions like:

• Cervical cancer
• Fibroids
• Kidney cancer
• Liver tumors (especially in patients with cirrhosis)
• Ovarian cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Pancreatitis
• Prostate cancer
• Uterine cancer

Whether you're receiving a routine exam, have a family history of breast diseases or have an existing breast condition, a breast MRI offers you an up-to-date picture of your breast health.

Breast MRIs help pinpoint a tumor's location, size and whether it's spread to other parts of the body. While mammograms are still the go-to test for breast cancer screening, we perform breast MRIs for people who have a(n):

• BRCA1 or BRCA2 breast cancer gene
• History of chest radiation between ages 10–30
• Immediate relative (parent, sibling, child) with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation
• Increased lifetime risk of developing breast cancer
• Rare genetic disease that increases their risk for breast cancer

We perform breast MRIs at every stage of the care journey. These insightful imaging tools help doctors:

• Compare scar tissue and a recurrent tumor following breast cancer surgery
• Evaluate breast implants and the surrounding tissues if there's a medical concern
• Examine the breasts of a person who's newly diagnosed with breast cancer prior to any surgery
• Look at abnormalities found during a physical exam, mammography or ultrasound
• Monitor how effective chemotherapy treatment is for patients with breast cancer

We use cardiac MRIs to diagnose and assess many diseases and conditions, including heart disease.

We use musculoskeletal MRIs to help diagnose and guide treatments for conditions affecting the muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, nerves and cartilage.

Our team uses neurological MRIs to diagnose conditions affecting the head, neck, brain and spine.

Did you know we’re Boston’s largest pediatric MRI imaging center in Boston? We work with children every day and perform thousands of imaging exams each year. That experience helps us get the very best images for diagnosing and treating your little one’s condition.

Most MRI exams last 20–40 minutes. There’s not much you need to do to get ready for an MRI. We put together this handy checklist designed to keep you comfortable during your exam.

• Arrive about 20 minutes early so you have enough time to complete any required paperwork before the exam.
• You can’t wear any metal during your MRI, so leave all jewelry, metal zippers or any clothing with wiring at home.  
• Dress warm and comfy. We may ask you to change into a hospital gown. 
• If you have any metallic devices or implants in your body, such as a pacemaker, artificial heart valve, infusion pump or surgical clips in your skull, let your care team know immediately. 
• Remove any patch medications or any external mechanical devices unless instructed otherwise by another medical professional.

We may use contrast during your exam, which is a dye that illuminates specific tissues on the scan. We’ll use a small intravenous catheter to inject the contrast.

At this point, we’ll sound like a broken record and ask you one last time if you have any type of metal in your body or conditions that could interfere with your scan. You can never be too careful. Once we’re given the green light, it’s time to lie down and get comfortable.

It’s very important to lie still and listen for any instructions from the technologist. You’ll hear persistent buzzing and thumping during the scan. This is totally normal as the machine calibrates and snaps photos.

Your technologist will be there the whole time to talk through any of your questions or concerns.

After your MRI, you’re free to go home or to work. A radiologist will be in touch with you and your physician in a few days to discuss your MRI results and create a treatment path.

Although an MRI is completely safe and painless, some people shouldn't undergo an MRI or will need to make special arrangements.

Any of the following conditions may interfere with your MRI. Please call us immediately if you are scheduled for an MRI and:

• Are pregnant, or think you might be
• Have a cardiac pacemaker
• Have a prosthetic heart valve
• Have a surgical clip, bone or joint replacement, or any metallic implant
• Have any metallic chips or splinters in the eye
• Have ever held a job in a metal-working industry or have been exposed to metallic dust or splinters
• Have suffered a shrapnel wound
• Suffer from claustrophobia
• Weigh more than 300 pounds

No, an MRI doesn’t expose patients to radioactive materials, X-rays or any form of ionizing radiation. There isn’t any evidence that MRIs lead to harmful side effects.

If you're prone to claustrophobia or panic attacks or are in any way concerned about how you could react during the scanning procedure, talk to your doctor about medication options and choose the least confining MRI option for your scan.  

Our imaging technologists assist patients with claustrophobia every day and are specially trained to help keep patients relaxed. We provide:

• An open line of communication with the technologist throughout the scan
• Comfortable positioning with warm blankets and pillows (depending on scan type)
• Noise-canceling headphones with satellite radio or your choice of relaxing music
• The option to have a family member or friend with you for support

MRI machines are known for being noisy. This is because of the force required to create an electromagnetic field on a coiled wire. When the MRI is creating an image, it makes a rapid-fire clicking noise. That’s just because the electric current is switching on and off rapidly.