Accurate diagnosis is a priority component of the successful fight for the patient’s health in the trade union sanatorium “Khmilnyk”. And the more accurate and timely the diagnosis, the greater the chances of avoiding complications and receiving complete healing.
After many yearsof experience using spiral computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the “Khmilnyk” sanatorium, our experts have convinced us that these two methods do not conflict with each other in terms of information. On the contrary, they complement each other favorably.
Let’s still try to figure out what are the fundamental differences between CT and MRI and do they need to be contrasted?
CT and MRI are such different diagnostic procedures that it is even difficult to combine them for any reason. Except, of course, using the principle of tomography — layer-by-layer scanning with the subsequent creation of an image of the object. In both cases, the patient lies on a couch that moves along the “pipe”. When choosing a type of diagnosis for a specific patient, the doctor must take into account the fundamental differences between each of the described methods.
The main difference between CT and MRI is the different physical phenomena that are used in the devices. In the case of spiral CT, this is X-ray radiation, the dose of which is quite low (thanks to the capabilities of modern devices, the examination is carried out in a very short time).
MRI is practically harmless to patients, which makes this method more preferable in children’s practice and even in pregnant women. To obtain an MRI image, the patient is placed in a magnetic field, while the hydrogen atoms in the tissues are “excited” and generate their own signal, which is picked up by the device. MRI better visualizes soft tissues: brain and spinal cord, muscles, nerves, intervertebral discs, cartilages, ligaments. But it does not “see” calcium, so CT scans are used to study the bones of the skeleton. MRI is most widely used in neurology and neurosurgery (old brain injuries, late-stage strokes, and brain and spinal cord tumors are visible on MRI). Nevertheless, the MRI examination gives little information in case of pulmonary pathology, gall bladder diseases, and bone fractures.
CT, on the contrary, is ideal for diagnosing bone damage and injuries to the kidneys and lungs. In addition, CT scans clearly show recent bleeding, so CT scans are used to examine patients with fresh injuries to the head, abdomen, chest, and early strokes! The overall time of the procedure is drastically different. A CT scan of one area of the body takes several minutes, and an MRI takes about 30 minutes.
Conducting an MRI is difficult for people suffering from claustrophobia due to the need to stay in a closed space, as well as when it is impossible to remain still during the study (for example, due to severe pain). If the patient has a pacemaker, metal elements (prostheses, clips, coils in case of an aneurysm), only CT is indicated.
Today, a doctor of any profile needs a clear understanding that the fate of the patient depends on how correctly and fully he can use the possibilities of tomography. In this regard, for an accurate diagnosis of a number of diseases, it is necessary to conduct CT and MRI studies in parallel.