MRI

MRI is a valuable tool for looking into the body from outside.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) relies on a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to produce detailed images of organs and other structures in your body. The test is painless and produces images that offer great clarity from several angles, without radiation or incisions. Some of the MRIs available at Novant Health include the following.

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Breast MRI

A breast MRI is typically highly accurate in detecting breast cancer, especially if you have dense breast tissue. That dense tissue may cause your healthcare provider to recommend additional forms of screening.

A breast MRI generally takes 30 to 45 minutes, not including preparation time. You will lie on a movable table. Once positioned, the technologist will move the table into the MRI scanner. Visit our breast MRI page to find out if this procedure is right for you.

fMRI

Functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, makes it possible to see specific parts of the brain. The fMRI scanner create images of areas that are responsible for movement, language, memory and other functions. The test identifies these regions by detecting changes in blood flow and oxygen levels as you answer questions and perform simple tasks. For example, the technician may ask you to tap your thumb against each finger on the same hand.

Your doctor may recommend fMRI before brain surgery to map different regions of the brain. The exam typically takes 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. You may need to drink a solution that helps produce clear images, or you may take the contrast liquid intravenously through an IV needle.

NOVA

Novant Health is among the first in North Carolina and surrounding states to offer an MRI that measures blood flow to the brain. Noninvasive optimal vessel analysis, or NOVA, is a fast, accurate way to understand how narrowing arteries in the neck and brain might be affecting your health.

NOVA produces 3D images that offer 360-degree views of arteries. The procedure is possible through software enhancements to existing MRI equipment. A personal computer is part of the system.

Your doctor may recommend NOVA screening if you a condition such as:

Headaches or dizziness
Carotid stenosis (narrowing of a major artery that supplies blood to the brain, neck and face)
Cerebral aneurysm (a bulge that forms on a blood vessel)
Stroke or transient ischemic attack, also called TIA or mini-stroke (blocked or burst blood vessel in the brain)

The information the test provides can be valuable before and after treatment because it can show whether blood flow has improved. As with other MRI, the NOVA test is done without incisions. You will not need to drink fluids to enhance imaging.

Prostate MRI

This technology produces images of the prostate gland from outside the body. The quality of the images gives your healthcare provider detailed information to work with. An additional benefit of a 3T prostate MRI is that it also can result in a more accurate diagnosis and effective treatment plan.

3T prostate MRI can be used:

As a guide for a first biopsy for men with rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA)
To evaluate men with rising PSA and negative biopsy by checking for missed tumors and as a guide for repeat biopsies
As a guide for biopsy for men who have been treated for prostate cancer and have a rising PSA
To evaluate for a recurrent tumor and guide follow-up biopsies for men who have been treated for prostate cancer and have a rising PSA and a negative biopsy
Presurgical or preradiation therapy planning

Some of our facilities offer prostate MRI fusion biopsy, also known as UroNav. Performed in an outpatient clinic, this technology fuses the MRI images with the ultrasound to provide direct targeting for the biopsy.

Talk to your urologist to see if you’re a candidate for prostate MRI or fusion biopsy.