Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging

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Abstract
The advent of X-ray computed tomographic (CT) imaging revolutionized the evaluation of a wide range of pathological conditions by producing thin tomographic sections through the body with remarkable anatomical detail. By the early 1980s, X-ray CT was an established imaging modality, and a second computer-based form of imaging was emerging from the research laboratory into the clinic. The second wave of the imaging revolution has been the development of NMR imaging (usually referred to as magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI) and its acceptance as the preferred modality for much neurological and musculoskeletal imaging. MRI's soft-tissue contrast and resolution is superior to that of other imaging techniques, the low NMR signal from bone renders it superior to X-ray CT in many cases for images of the head and spine, it has more varied contrast possibilities than CT, and can image in any plane without repositioning the patient. In spite of the high cost of purchase and installation, MR scanners are proliferating rapidly, and techniques and clinical applications for MR imaging continue to advance at an equally rapid rate.

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