Navigating your medical imaging options: What’s right for you?
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has a reputation for providing a thorough look inside the body. It’s often ordered when more detail is needed or the cause of symptoms is unclear on other types of imaging.
But sometimes it can be confusing to understand why X-ray or ultrasound is requested versus MRI, or why a patient might be sent for multiple types of imaging. A patient’s medical and family history, risk factors, and type and duration of symptoms, all affect the physician’s decision on which type of imaging is most appropriate.
“X-ray, ultrasound, and MRI are excellent tools for diagnostic imaging. For example, with a hockey injury you might get an X-ray first to see if something is broken, and an ultrasound to see if you’ve torn something. Then an MRI if the diagnosis remains uncertain, or for surgical planning,” says Kevan Tayler, MRT and Mayfair Diagnostics Regina clinic manager.
An MRI scan creates images by exposing hydrogen atoms within our body to a magnetic field which controls the direction and frequency at which these hydrogen protons spin. A radiofrequency pulse is then directed toward the area of the body being examined, while smaller magnets are used to alter the magnetic field on a more localized level. As tissues respond differently to these magnetic field alterations, a computer can convert the data into a picture. MRI images can be taken of most body parts.
In comparison, an X-ray uses a type of electromagnetic radiation to create an image.
The X-ray source sends a small amount of radiation through a body part and an image is produced as a result of the ways different internal structures absorb the radiation. They are particularly useful for looking at the lungs and bones.
Ultrasound imaging, on the other hand, is very good at looking at the soft tissues of the body. These exams involve the use of high-frequency sound waves to create an image. Sound waves are transmitted into the body through a small transducer (probe). These waves travel into the area being examined until they hit a boundary between tissues, such as between fluid and soft tissue, or soft tissue and bone. Since sound waves travel different distances before they are reflected back to the transducer, depending on the boundary they run into, a computer can interpret this information as a two-dimensional image on a screen.
What type of imaging a doctor requests can depend on the presumed diagnosis. For example, ultrasound can produce images quickly and in real time, so movement can be observed. In musculoskeletal imaging, it is often the first step in investigating the cause for symptoms since it doesn’t use radiation and the most common injuries are strains or sprains of muscles and supporting tissues. Sometimes an X-ray and an ultrasound will be ordered together.
An X-ray might also be ordered to identify fractures, injuries, or deformities of bone, or to verify how bones are healing. It could be used to detect infection of the sinuses or lungs, obstruction of the intestines, gallstones and kidney stones, and foreign objects within the body. MRI, on the other hand, is very good at examining soft tissues such as tendons and ligaments, evaluating the spinal cord, and identifying strokes in the brain.
“Whether it’s identifying a targeted area for treatment, finding an illness early, or excluding serious pathology, a clear diagnosis can provide peace of mind for patients. Ultimately it’s about taking care of our patients,” says Dr. Patricia Jo, medical director at Mayfair Diagnostics Regina.
To determine which imaging type is appropriate for a patient’s circumstances, a healthcare practitioner will review the risks and benefits associated with each type of imaging.
Whether public or private, medical imaging must be requested by a healthcare practitioner who will provide a requisition for your exam.
Once your exam is completed, your images will be reviewed by a specialized radiologist who will compile a report that is sent to your doctor. Mayfair Diagnostics is owned and operated by over 60 radiologists who are fellowship-trained in all radiology subspecialties, such as neuroradiology, abdominal and pelvic, cardiac, musculoskeletal imaging, etc. This allows for an expert review of your imaging by the applicably trained radiologist.
Mayfair Diagnostics provides MRIS as a publicly-funded, community-based service under contract with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and as a private pay exam. Private MRI services in Saskatchewan are provided in accordance with and under the legislation of the Province of Saskatchewan at its Albert and Dewdney location in Regina. For more information, visit