MRI provides images of soft tissues in the body such as the heart, lungs, liver and other organs that do not show up clearly using x-ray examinations. MRI can help your doctor evaluate the structure and the function of most organs. Your doctor might recommend an MRI scan to diagnose and evaluate brain aneurysms or brain tumours. It provides a provisional diagnosis as to what the brain lesion (damaged region) may be. Also, if you suffer a stroke, an MRI Scan can determine the location of the blockage or bleeding in the brain that has caused the stroke. It also provides a diagnostic test to assess the structural causes of epilepsy.
An MRI scan provides a safer and non-invasive alternative to x-ray angiography for the diagnosis of diseases of the heart and the brain. Injuries to soft tissues, joints and the spine can be detected and evaluated using MRI. This scan also aids in planning and preparing particular surgeries, such as awake craniotomy (brain surgery to remove lesions) and deep brain stimulation surgery (implantation of device in brain to regulate body movement).