Chest MRI: Indications

- Evaluation of mediastinal masses

- Discrimination between hilar vessels and enlarged lymph nodes

- Tumor staging (especially when invasion of vessels or pericardium is suspected)

- Evaluation of aortic dissection, aortic aneurysm, congenital and acquired cardiac disease

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Chest MRI: Advantages

- Provides excellent tissue contrast resolution and multiplanar capability

- No beam-hardening artifacts such as can be seen with CT

- No ionizing radiation

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Chest MRI: Disadvantages

- Subject to motion artifacts

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Chest MRI: Contraindications and risks

- Contraindicated in patients with cardiac pacemakers, intraocular metallic foreign bodies, intracranial aneurysm clips, cochlear implants, and some artificial heart valves

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Chest MRI: Patient preparation

- Sedation of agitated patients

- Screening CT of the orbits if history suggests possible metallic foreign body in the eye

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