what is the difference between an MRI and a CAT scan?

Question

They think I'm having seizures or a possible TIA so why order an MRI vs a CT scan?

Answer 1

There are several ways of looking inside your body. CAT scan is essentially a glorified X-ray. It can see mostly bones.

MRI is magnetic imaging. It can see just about every tissue of the body. It is very expensive and the procedure could take a long time to complete. Go prepared to spend some time inside a tube.

MRI can reveal any abnormalities in your brain which might be responsible for your seizure.

Answer 2

The difference in the technology have been outlined before so I'll address the imaging.

The difference between a CT and MRI is the information which is collected. A CT will show the difference in x-ray attenuation between various materials. In contrast, an MRI will show differences in relaxation time of various tissues.

A CT is a wonderful tool for quick imaging as you can see whether there is anything such as blood inside the skull cavity or you can see structural defects.

MRI will show differences between two tissues which may not be apparent in CT as the tissues may attenuate x-rays equivalently.

For non-emergent situations, MRI is a much better choice for neurological diagnosis as you can get a lot more information.

Answer 3

Remove Tattoo before MRI & CAT scanning.

Answer 4

MRI does not use x-rays MRI uses magnetic resonance for imaging.. CAT uses x-rays digitally.

Answer 5

MRI is more 3 dimentional and costs more money...a CAT scan is more flat but costs less.

Answer 6

MRI=Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), formerly referred to as magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) or, in chemistry nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), is a non-invasive method used to render images of the inside of an object. It is primarily used in medical imaging to demonstrate pathological or other physiological alterations of living tissues. MRI also has uses outside of the medical field, such as detecting rock permeability to hydrocarbons and as a non-destructive testing method to characterize the quality of products such as produce and timber.[1]

CAT=Computed tomography (CT), originally known as computed axial tomography (CAT or CT scan) and body section roentgenography, is a medical imaging method employing tomography where digital geometry processing is used to generate a three-dimensional image of the internals of an object from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around a single axis of rotation. The word "tomography" is derived from the Greek tomos (slice) and graphein (to write). CT produces a volume of data which can be manipulated, through a process known as windowing, in order to demonstrate various structures based on their ability to block the X-ray beam. Although historically (see below) the images generated were in the axial or transverse plane (orthogonal to the long axis of the body), modern scanners allow this volume of data to be reformatted in various planes or even as volumetric (3D) representations of structures.

CAT VS. MRI= A computed tomography (CT) scanner uses X-rays, a type of ionizing radiation, to acquire its images, making it a good tool for examining tissue composed of elements of a relatively higher atomic number than the tissue surrounding them (classically, calcium based bone visualized within carbon based flesh), such as bone and calcifications within the body, or of structures (vessels, bowel) which have been artificially enhanced with contrast agents containing elements of a higher atomic number than the surrounding flesh (iodine, barium). MRI, on the other hand, uses non-ionizing radio frequency signals to acquire its images and is best suited for non-calcified tissue.

Both CT and MRI scanners can generate multiple two-dimensional cross-sections (slices) of tissue and three-dimensional reconstructions. Unlike CT, which uses only X-ray attenuation to generate image contrast, MRI has a long list of properties that may be used to generate image contrast. By variation of scanning parameters, tissue contrast can be altered and enhanced in various ways to detect different features. (See Application below.)

MRI can generate cross-sectional images in any plane (including oblique planes). CT is limited to acquiring images in the axial (or near axial) plane. However, the development of multi-detector CT scanners with near-isotropic resolution produces data that can be retrospectively reconstructed in any plane with minimal loss of image quality.