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Present Status and Future Potential

Council on Scientific Affairs

JAMA. 1988;260(22):3313-3326.

Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has many bona fide applications in the head and neck region. The major strengths of its current conventional use include excellent soft-tissue contrast, multiplanar capabilities, noninvasiveness, and lack of ionizing radiation. Newer advances, including gradient-echo techniques, three-dimensional fourier transformation, paramagnetic contrast, and more efficient receiver coils, will improve images and expand indications for MRI. The technology, however, remains relatively expensive, and the additional information compared with that of other techniques might not always justify the difference in cost. Moreover, MRI's insensitivity to calcifications, lack of depiction of fine bone detail, and, in some areas, degradation caused by motion and other artifacts make computed tomography and other noninvasive studies more appropriate as a primary imaging tool in many circumstances. Continued careful clinical research should clarify the relative role of MRI and other imaging tools during the next several years.

(JAMA 1988;260:3313-3326)

Author Affiliations
From the Council on Scientific Affairs, American Medical Association, Chicago.

Footnotes
This report was presented to the American Medical Association's House of Delegates as an informational report at the June 1988 Annual Meeting.

This report is not intended to be construed or to serve as a standard of medical care. Standards of medical care are determined on the basis of all of the facts and circumstances involved in an individual case and are subject to change as scientific knowledge and technology advance and patterns of practice evolve. This report reflects the views of scientific literature as of March 1988.

Reprint requests to Council on Scientific Affairs, American Medical Association, 535 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60610(William R. Hendee, PhD).

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