Early diagnosis is often critical to preserving a person’s health, independence, or even life. While certain conditions used to be diagnosable only with invasive surgical procedures, that isn’t the case anymore, thanks to Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI. What are some of the conditions MRI can be used to diagnose?
Renal Artery Stenosis
When a blood vessel somewhere in the body develops a blockage, it’s called stenosis. Renal Artery Stenosis, therefore, is a blockage of arteries in one or both of the kidneys. When such an occurrence is suspected, such as abnormal kidney values on blood tests, the doctor may start establishing his or her diagnosis using a stethoscope to listen to your kidney’s blood flow patterns. If medical history, clinical signs, blood tests, or urine tests indicate a blockage, the doctor may order an MRI to confirm the suspicion of a blockage. An MRI may also enable a radiologist to develop a plan for correcting the problem.
Spinal Cord or Brain Conditions
While “spinal cord injury” might conjure an image of a severed spinal cord resulting from a traumatic event, there are other conditions that may adversely affect the spine and warrant investigation with an MRI. These may include:
- Discs – along the spine that have herniated or degenerated, impinging the spine
- Encephalomyelitis – which is an inflammatory disease affecting the spinal cord and brain, sometimes due to infection
- Brain aneurysm – which is bulging of a blood vessel where the wall is weakening and may rupture
- Hemorrhage – which is when a blood vessel has ruptured
When imaging is performed and conditions such as these are found and diagnosed, interventions may correct them or limit them against doing further damage. For example, a doctor may determine that an aneurysm can be addressed with a surgical stent to strengthen the vessel wall and prevent a hemorrhage.
Muscular and Neurological Diseases
There are many types of muscle disease, including:
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease
- Muscular dystrophy
- Muscular myopathies
When certain conditions are present, such as extreme weakness, muscle wasting, and in some cases poor or absent reflexes, a muscle disease might be suspected. Doctors may use a nerve conduction test and other means to assess functionality. Still, confirmation that a muscle disease does exist is often only possible with the use of either a muscle biopsy or imaging. A muscle biopsy is an invasive procedure where the doctor will extract a portion of the affected muscle for lab analysis. On the other hand, MRI is entirely non-invasive and, depending on the type of muscle disease, may show the nature and stage of muscle disease without the need for biopsy.
Nerve Impingement
If you have radiating pain in certain areas, such as down your leg, back or neck, one possible explanation is nerve impingement. An MRI can reveal the relationship between the nerve and any surrounding structures, allowing the doctor to identify whether something is pinching that nerve. Nerve impingement may be the result of:
- Bone spurs
- Tumor
- Inflammation
- Misalignment of bones, ligaments, or tendons
If the nerve finds its way in between two bones, stretched around a tumor or surrounded by inflammation, the compressed nerve will send shocks of pain radiating from the affected area. Even in the absence of impingement, MRI may expose nerve damage that can cause similarly disturbing effects that interfere with a person’s comfort and functionality.
If you or your doctor suspect that you may have a soft tissue disease or injury, it’s probably time to get an MRI to find out for sure. Depending on the severity of the underlying condition, time could play a vital role in your healing journey, so don’t delay. Contact Brooklyn Open MRI today to schedule an appointment so you can get the answers you need.