CT scan and MRI scan are both different in various ways. Many people often end up thinking that both scans are similar.
To understand both the scans briefly and see how they stand apart, let’s look at the CT scan vs MRI scan below.
Ct Scan: Everything You Need to Know!
When the traditional X-ray failed to see what was going inside the soft tissues of the brain and the body Sir Godfry and Robert Ledly invented the CAT scan (computerized axial tomography), also known as the CT scan.
CT scan is a popular medical imaging technique used in the branch of radiology to get detailed images of soft tissues of the human body non-invasively. CT scans are also used to detect bone and joint defects such as a fracture of a bone or a tumor.
In a CT scan, a group of narrow beams of radiation is being emitted, which pass through the human body and make soft tissues of the body visible. However, the drawback of a CT scan is that the radiation which is being used is harmful to the human DNA if the radiation is prolonged.
This can lead to a mutation of the human DNA and cause serious conditions such as cancer. Also, some patients may experience post-scan symptoms, which include abdominal cramping, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or constipation.
Mri Scan: Everything You Need to Know!
MRI, known as Magnetic Resonance Imaging, scans are also used to see the soft tissues of the brain and body. This method of imaging, in comparison to the previous CT scan, provides a better understanding of body tissues, it provides a more detailed image for structures and tissues of the human body, it also helps a physician to detect tumors, disorders, masses in the abdomen and blockages in the vasculature of the body.
This new technique was invented by Dr. Raymond V. Damadian in 1971 but later improvised the MRI technology helping physicians to get a better view of soft tissues of the human body.
No known harmful effects of an MRI scan are known. Still, patients suffering from anxiety or claustrophobia may need a sedative to relax during the procedure. Moving during a scan may lead to disoriented images, and the physician may face difficulty diagnosing.
Powerful magnets that are being used in the scan can attract metals in the human body; for instance, if a patient has a stent or a pacemaker in the heart, the MRI scan would be compromised.