Health encyclopaedia

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Disadvantages of MRI scan

Because MRI scans detect water rather than molecular density, calcium does not show up clearly. This means that tissue calcification, a feature of a number of diseases such as osteoporosis, cannot be detected. Bone is also less obvious than on a CT scan.

MRI scanners are noisy and earphones are commonly used. They can also be affected by movement which makes them unsuitable for investigating mouth tumours, for example, because coughing or swallowing makes the scan less clear.

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