MRI

Diagnostic Services | MRI
Breast Imaging

The use of MRI to look at breast tissue is still a rather new application. There are two areas where MRI is proving very helpful. The first is in evaluating breast implants, which may have ruptures and need to be removed/replaced. The second area is in the evaluation of the breast for malignancy.

This area is still somewhat experimental but great strides have been made in defining the margins of tumors during chemotherapy or to look for multiple sites of tumor in the breast. MRI also can help distinguish between recurrent breast cancer and scar in the postoperative breast.

The procedure involves lying on your stomach with the breasts cradled in a surface coil. For tumor evaluation, intravenous contrast is usually given. The entire test may last 1 hour for each breast.