What Does My Abdominal MRI Test Report Indicate?

Posted on Sun, 28 Jun 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 28 Jun 2015 Answered on

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : Abdominal MRI with and without contrast
I had my brother (Down syndrome) sedated for his MRI to ensure we receive the best possible images. I was extremely upset when I receive the report And it showed "study is markedly motion degraded". It took me over 2 months to get medical clearance for this sedation. Is it normal to get such a degrade quality under sedation and have that much motion or was he not sedated properly. This was a critical test for him as he has chronic Hep B (25+ years) and we were determining next steps based on findings from CT scan. I also do not see any notes showing any comparisons to the CT scans that I provided or Ultrasounds?

Answered by Dr. Indu Kumar (37 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Your brother may need longer sedation.

Detailed Answer:
Hello

I can understand your concern and frustration.This is really a difficult time.
But this is main limitation of MRI technology.Patient should lie still during MRI investigation,otherwise movement causes motion artifact.
It is not possible for a radiologist to report MRI with motion artifact.

I suggest to take a second chance.Your brother may need longer sedation as abdominal MRI is a lengthy procedure.
I think light sedation may be the reason for movement artifact.
You can discuss the matter with anesthetist.

Get well soon.
Hope I have answered your question.
Further queries are most welcome.

Take Care
Dr.Indu XXXXXXX

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj