Your doctor may order an MRI, CT scan or other diagnostic tests to learn important information about a disease or injury, and to help in the diagnosis and treatment of the problem. Depending on your exact case, your doctor may request the use of a contrast dye to enhance the results of the test. While the tests and contrast dyes used are generally ...

Knee injuries can sideline professional and amateur athletes alike. The results of a new study suggest that a single magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurement can help doctors determine patients' risk for knee injuries associated with kneecap instability. The kneecap protects the knee and plays an important role in how the knee bends. It is a sm...

Because it does not use radiation to create images of tissues and organs inside a living body, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the safest diagnostic tests used today. While relatively safe, MRIs do pose unique safety hazards for patients and others near or inside the magnetic resonance (MR) environment. To ensure safety and effectiveness...

When it comes to deciding which treatment is best for patients with chest pain and coronary heart disease (CHD), doctors will typically base the decision on how constricted the arteries serving the heart are. Doctors usually asses this by performing cardiac catheterization, which is an invasive procedure. The results of a new study show that a non-...

If you have ever undergone medical imaging, such as an MRI or CT scan, chances are good that you received contrast. MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) and CT ( computed tomography ) are types of medical equipment that creates image of internal organs and structures. Contrast material enhances and improves the quality of these images. Contrast materi...

Women at average risk for breast cancer should begin annual mammograms at the age of 40, according to new guidelines issued by the largest organization of breast surgeons in the United States, the American Society of Breast Surgeons ( ASBrS ). These new recommendations are different from those offered by other medical organizations. The American Ca...

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), claiming approximately 610,000 lives each year. Doctors use a variety of tests, such as stress echocardiograms, catheterizations and stress nuclear exams, to detect heart disease, assess its severity...

Tattoos are gaining in popularity these days, with four in ten Americans sporting at least one tattoo, according to Statistica . People are more likely to get ink nowadays because tattoos do not carry the taboo they once held. Many people avoided tattoos because they worry that such body art might prevent them from getting a job. Today, some people...