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Chest MRI - Results

Alternative Names

Nuclear magnetic resonance - chest; Magnetic resonance imaging - chest; NMR - chest; MRI of the thorax; Thoracic MRI

Normal Values:

A normal result means your chest area appears normal.

What abnormal results mean:

An abnormal chest MRI may be due to:

Abnormal blood vessels in the lungs (pulmonary vessels)
Abnormal lymph nodes
Aortic dissection
Aortic stenosis
Atrial myxoma
Atrial septal defect
Bronchial abnormalities
Bronchiectasis
Cardiac tamponade
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Coarctation of the aorta
Constrictive pericarditis
Cystic lung lesions
Esophageal tumor
Ischemic cardiomyopathy
Lung tumors
Mitral regurgitation - acute
Mitral regurgitation - chronic
Mitral valve prolapse
Other masses or tumors of the chest
Pericardial effusion
Pericarditis
Pleural abnormalities, including thickening or pleural effusion
Pulmonary edema
Restrictive cardiomyopathy
Superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction
Thoracic aortic aneurysm
Thymus tumor
Tumors of the chest

Consult your health care provider with any questions and concerns.

MRI scans

Vertebra, thoracic (mid back)

Reviewed last on: 1/18/2010
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Aziz ZA, Hansell DM. Techniques in thoracic imaging. In: Grainger RC, Allison D, Adam, Dixon AK, eds. Diagnostic Radiology: A Textbook of Medical Imaging. 5th ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone; 2008:chap 11.

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