MRI of the pelvic organs

The St. Paraskeva Medical Center has a powerful radiology department with innovative diagnostic equipment of the highest world level.

One of them is the latest generation 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imager Toshiba Vantage ZGV Atlas (Japan).

MRI of the pelvis includes examination of the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, bladder, rectum, prostate and vaginal organs.

Advantages of the examination

Magnetic resonance imaging is the "gold standard" in the examination of pelvic organs in both men and women. With a stepwise cut of 3-5 mm, a radiologist at St. Paraskeva Medical Center can evaluate the above areas in detail and confirm or refute the preliminary diagnosis of the referring physician.

We remind you that MRI is a harmless to health examination method.

Services

Doctors

Preparation for the examination

Before the examination, the patient is recommended to refrain from eating food that can cause gas 2-3 days before the procedure. These products include: cabbage (all varieties), legumes, lactic acid products, and so on. On the day of the examination, the last meal should also be no later than 3-4 hours before the examination.

Examination

The examination begins with filling in the patient's information questionnaire and preparation before the examination: removal of outerwear, jewelry or metal structures. Personal items are left in the booth, which is locked with a key (you can also use the safe for storing valuables). The duration of the procedure – from 30 to 45 minutes – is determined by the radiologist.

Pelvic examination is performed without contrast enhancement, i.e. natively. There are cases when a radiologist may suggest contrast during the study. This happens when the changes detected by native scanning do not give clear answers in the diagnosis.

If the patient agrees to the injection of contrast, then the solution is injected intravenously, and the examination continues.

MRI of pelvis in women

Pelvic examination in women primarily includes: diagnostics of reproductive organs (uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries) and bladder. Magnetic resonance imaging allows to assess in more detail the anatomical features and structure of these organs, their pathological changes, etc.

Special features

The peculiarity of MRI examination of reproductive organs in women is the phase of menstrual cycle. MRI examination is not recommended during menstruation, as this is when endometrial detachment occurs, which can lead to false results.

Contraindications for MRI diagnostics in women:

• pregnancy in the first trimester;
• general contraindications: pacemaker and other electronic or mechanical implants, metal structures in the body that tend to be magnetized.

MRI of pelvic facets in men

Magnetic resonance imaging allows to evaluate many different areas in our body and today we focus your attention on the examination of pelvic organs in men, which include: MRI of the scrotum and testicles, MRI of the bladder and multiparametric MRI of the prostate.

Peculiarities of MRI of pelvic organs

Multiparametric prostate examination includes contrast enhancement. Due to the introduction of a contrast agent, the doctor can differentiate healthy tissues from the affected ones.

MRI examination of the scrotum and testicles, as well as the bladder is carried out without the introduction of contrast agent, that is, natively. There are cases when a radiologist may suggest contrast during the examination.

This happens when the detected changes are difficult to differentiate in native scanning. If the patient agrees to the injection of contrast, then the solution is injected intravenously, and the examination continues.

Contraindications to MRI of the pelvis in men

• less than 1 month has passed since the prostate biopsy was performed;
• individual hypersensitivity to gadoteric acid, meglumin, or any drug containing gadolinium;
• prosthetic hip joints;
• general contraindications: pacemaker, metal structures in the body that tend to be magnetized.

Contrasting of pelvic organs

The introduction of contrast on MRI is used for diagnostic purposes in the case when a contrast-free, that is, native, examination is uninformative. The substance used for this purpose has paramagnetic properties, due to which the image clarity is enhanced.

Examination and peculiarities

The duration of the examination is up to 45 minutes.

Diagnostics with contrast has its own characteristics. First of all, the anesthesiologist conducts a conversation to determine the patient's allergic anamnesis. If the patient has no contraindications, then a peripheral catheter is inserted into the vessel. With the help of modern MRI injector Ulrich Medical Mississippi XD2000 (Germany) contrast agent is remotely injected into the patient's vessel. At the moment of contrast injection, the patient does not feel anything. The next step is the processing of the obtained native and post-contrast images by a radiologist.

At the end of the procedure, the patient is under anesthesia for up to 30 minutes. If the patient feels normal after contrast, the peripheral catheter is removed from the vessel, and a patch is applied in its place.

General contraindications to MRI of pelvic organs

• Individual hypersensitivity to gadoteric acid, meglumin, or any drug containing gadolinium.
• Functional disorders of the kidneys (decreased renal clearance).
• General contraindications: pacemaker, metal structures in the body that tend to be magnetized.