Breast MRI or breast magnetic resonance imaging is a noninvasive, painless medical procedure that is used by your doctor to assist him or her in diagnosing and treating certain medical conditions.

Bu utilizing a powerful magnetic field, radio waves and a computer, MR imaging can provide detailed pictures of your organs, soft tissues, bone and most all other internal body structures. The images can either be reviewed on the computer screen or printed to view a hard copy of the image.

With MRI pictures, your physician is able to better evaluate parts of the body and certain diseases that may not be detected or seen using other imaging tools like x-ray, ultrasound or compute tomography.

A Breast MRI is performed to:

• Revaluate or determine abnormalities discovered in a mammogram

• Detect and identify breast cancer in the early stages

• Detect or screen breast cancer in women with implants

• Determine the condition of breast implants

• Discover tumors and their location

• Determine if cancer has spread, to what areas, and to what degree

• To determine how chemotherapy is working

• To determine breast tissue density

• To determine cysts

• To determine enlarged ducts or lymph nodes

• To determine if hematomas are present

• To determine if breast implants are leaking or ruptured

• To determine whether an abnormality looks benign or malignant

The Procedure

This procedure is performed on an outpatient basis. You will be positioned on the moveable examination table. If you have are experiencing a difficult time holding the correct position during the exam, straps and pillows may be needed to assist you.

In certain instances, tiny containers that encase coils capable of sending and receiving radio waves will be strategically placed around the area of the body being studied.

If you need to take contrast material for certain testing, it will be swallowed, injected through an IV or given by enema. The table will then move rapidly through the scanner to determine the correct starting position for the images.

You will be moved into the magnet of the MRI unit and the radiologist and technologist will leave the room while the MRI examination is performed. You will need to wait until the technologist determines that the images are of high enough quality for the radiologist to read. The procedure usually lasts between 30 minutes.

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