Pelvis or Pelvic MRI

MRI of the Pelvis

A doctor or physician may order an MRI of the pelvis and abdomen to take pictures of the organs in your pelvis (area between and including your hips) and abdomen (stomach and torso area). An MRI is useful because it shows healthcare providers what tissue is normal, and what tissue is not. Many organs in your body can be seen during a quality MRI of the pelvis and abdomen including:

Organs that help break down the food you eat and get rid of waste through bowel movements such as your stomach, gallbladder, intestines, liver, pancreas and spleen.

Organs that make or produce urine and allow you to urinate including your kidneys, urethra (urinary tract), bladder and ureters can also be seen with a pelvis MRI scan.

Reproductive organs can also be seen in a quality Pelvis MRI. In women, these organs include the uterus (womb), ovaries, cervix, fallopian tubes, and vagina. In men, these organs include the testicles, scrotum, penis and prostate gland.

Your doctor may want to order a pelvis MRI with signs or symptoms such as pelvic or abdominal pain, or jaundice (yellowing of the whites of the eyes). Other symptoms may also include high blood pressure, blood in the urine, and swelling in the abdomen. Sometimes women who have painful monthly periods or heavy bleeding may have a pelvis MRI. A quality MRI scan can show radiologists what may be causing your signs or symptoms and it's important that you find the best machines and radiologists possible to receive the best imaging.

Reasons for an Abdominal or Pelvic MRI:

A pelvis MRI may be done to check for certain cancers or other illness. The MRI may show tissue that has cancer cells and tissue that does not have cancer cells.

A pelvis MRI can be used to guide doctors or surgeons during a procedure, such as a biopsy. An MRI may be used if surgery is needed to remove a growth or lump.

A pelvis MRI can show doctors or physicians how well a treatment for a disease is working and the results of the MRI can help in the plan for the best treatment forward.

An Abdominal or Pelivic MRI may help diagnose (find):

An MRI of the pelvis or abdomen may find tumors, growths or lumps in organs such as your stomach, bladder, and pancreas. With women it can find a growth on an ovary, or in the uterusn. With men it can be used to find a growth on the prostate gland.

A pelvis MRI scan can show if you have a disease, such as kidney or liver disease. If you have cancer, a quality MRI may show if it has spread to other parts of your body.

Pelvis MRIs may show if you have an infection of the appendix or another organ. Specifically, an MRI with women may help diagnose pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

An MRI may show if one or more stones have grown in your kidney or gallbladder.

An MRI of the pelvis can show blood vessel problems, including if it blocked, damaged, too narrow or too wide.

An MRI scan may be done to find problems such as weak pelvic muscles, weak muscles in general or pelvic organ prolapse.

A pelvis MRI may show problems that developed before or at birth, including various birth defects.

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Getting a MRI:

Find out what the experience is like and what you should expect.

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Before the MRI

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During the MRI

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After the MRI

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