Nuclear magnetic resonance in the study of pathology of the whole body (III)

: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the most recent imaging modality introduced for the study of the body. The main clinical indications of this technique concern the pathology of the brain and spinal cord. Nevertheless, recent improvements in equipment technology have widened the field of applications to other regions of the body such as the chest, abdomen, pelvis, and the musculoskeletal system. The main advantages of MRI, compared to other imaging modalities, are the high soft-tissue contrast, the capability of obtaining images in direct coronal and sagittal planes, the possibility of displaying vessels without intravenous injection of contrast media, and the lack of biologic hazard. In this article, the main clinical uses of MRI are discussed with the exclusion of Central Nervous System pathology. MRI's clinical usefulness is analyzed in detail and compared with Computed Tomography.