Because the MRI scan gives very detailed pictures it is the best technique when it comes to finding tumors (benign or malignant abnormal growths) in the brain. If a tumor is present the scan can also be used to find out if it has spread into nearby brain tissue.

The technique also allows us to focus on other details in the brain. For example, it makes it possible to see the strands of abnormal tissue that occur if someone has multiple sclerosis and it is possible to see changes occurring when there is bleeding in the brain, or find out if the brain tissue has suffered lack of oxygen after a stroke.

The MRI scan is also able to show both the heart and the large blood vessels in the surrounding tissue. This makes it possible to detect heart defects that have been building up since birth, as well as changes in the thickness of the muscles around the heart following a heart attack. The method can also be used to examine the joints, spine and sometimes the soft parts of your body such as the liver, kidneys and spleen.

The scan is usually done as an outpatient procedure, which means that the patient can go home after the test. During the scan it is important to lie completely still. For this reason it might be necessary to give a child an anesthetic before they are tested.

Since you are exposed to a powerful magnetic field during the MRI scan, it is important not to wear jewelry or any other metal objects.

It is also important for the patient to inform medical staff if they use electrical appliances, such as a hearing aid or pacemaker, or have any metal in their body such as surgical clips, but orthopedic metal ware such as artificial hips or bone screws is not normally a problem.