Friday, February, 10, 2012

Chest MRI

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

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


Normal Values

Normal results mean there are no tumors, or problems or changes in the size or position of organs in the chest cavity.


What abnormal results mean

Results depend on the part of the body being examined and the nature of the problem. Different types of tissues send back different MRI signals. For example, healthy tissue sends back a slightly different signal than cancerous tissue.

An abnormal chest MRI can 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.


Review Date: 08/10/2008
Reviewed By: 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.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)