Postioning a patient for an MRI of the neck.

Magnetic resonance imaging is an important diagnostic tool for spinal cord lesions, and is the imaging method of choice for lumbosacral disease and brain diseases.

The advantage of MRI is that it can provide 3-dimensional information about the area of interest, with excellent soft tissue contrast resolution, and is non-invasive. Dogs and cats undergoing MRI need to have general anesthesia to ensure that they are still for the procedure.

After a thorough neurologic examination, the specialist in charge of your pet’s care will determine if an MRI is an appropriate diagnostic tool.

 

	Above: MRI of a dogs neck showing a large herniated disc (arrow). The dog’s head is to the left.		Dr Smith and Tracy in the MRI control room

 

Below: MRI of a dog showing a tumor adjacent to the spinal cord, causing neurologic problems. The 3 views allow a 3-dimensional assessment of the tumor, showing the advantage of MRI for evaluating spinal cord disease. The tumor shows up bright white. The arrow points to the tumor in all 3 views.

	Dorsal view		Transverse view
Saggital view

Below: Example of a brain tumor (in the cerebellum) in a dog seen on an MRI. The image on the left is the “plain” scan, and the image on the right is after an intravenous injection of a contrast agent that enhances visualization of tumors.

 

	Above: Transverse section of the head
	Above: Dorsal section of the head