MRI IMAGING AND PROCESSING

MRI IMAGING AND PROCESSING

This is a test that is done using strong radio waves, magnets, and a computer to make pictures that are detailed in the body. This test is used for the detection of disease, fracture, or injury, and it checks on the response of treatment. It can be done on different body parts, depending on the illness. There are different types of MRI scans used for diagnosis, including the brain and spinal cord, heart, and blood vessels, and it can also be used to check in the different organs in the body like breasts, liver kidneys, ovaries, pancreas, prostate and many more. There is a special type of MRI scan that chart the brain activity called functional MRI (fMRI). It checks the flow of blood to the brain to test if it is active while performing several tasks. While preparing for the procedure, the doctor advises the patient about the effects of the test and passes one through a series of a questionnaire to see if the patient has had surgery lately, if they have any allergy-like to asthma or food or medicine, whether they are pregnant or might be pregnant. Metal isn’t allowed in the MRI room due to the magnetism in the MRI machine. In the case of any metallic implants, body piercings implanted nerve stimulators should be revealed before the procedure. The MRI experiment is a large tube with holes at both ends. Images in an open tube aren’t as bright as an open tube.

Before the procedure, the patient is infused intravenously with a contrast dye into the vein in the arm. It helps to align the structures in the body. The color commonly used is called gadolinium, and it leaves the patient with a metallic after taste in the mouth. The patient is advised to lie on a flat table where they are slide in the machine either the whole body or part of the body depending on doctor’s direction. A powerful magnetic field is created inside the body and computer charts pictures depending on MRI signals generated from the machine. A slim slice of the image is generated from the body. A loud sound is heard during the test, which is the MRI machine making an energy to capture pictures in the body. Earphones or headphones are encouraged to quiet the sound. The MRI triggers the nerves, which feels like a trembling stir during the test. It takes 20-80 minutes.

APPENDICITIS

Pathology of appendicitis

Appendicitis is a disorder that causes pain in the lower right abdomen. It is caused by blockage of the appendix in the lumen. It could be a result of a worm or a foreign body. The blockage causes the growth of bacteria, enlargement, and inflammation. It may cause gangrene, puncture of the appendix, or necrosis.  Pain starts in the navel and moves for most people. It affects people at the age of 10-30 years. Inflammation causes pain along with the appendix. Some of the signs and symptoms include; vomiting and Nausea, appetite loss, flatulence, bloating in the abdomen, cough results as the pain worsens, pain in the lower abdomen, and fever.

MRI scans can be used to diagnose appendicitis. Although most of the diagnosis is clinical, if the patient has substantial findings, imaging should be done without any delays. To avoid perforation of the appendix. If appendicitis is treated early, the death rate is usually less than 1%. If untreated, the disease may cause fatal and cause death by more than 50%. Treatment is generally done by either surgical elimination of the appendix or antibiotics and IV fluids.

Normal anatomy and physiology of the appendix

The appendix is based at the junction of the small intestine and the colon. It’s a slender tube of a length of 4 inches. It is located at the abdomen on the lower right side. The appendix does not have a specified role, but it contains beneficial bacteria that serve the gut in case of any eventuality of cholera or dysentery. Appendix cavity gets narrower as it gets to the caecum than the end that is closed.

Strength of MRI testing

MRI scan is non-invasive and doesn’t have radiation. This is one of the advantages MRI has compared to other forms of screening use radiation and harmful x-ray, which has bad side effects. MRI differentiating agent is less likely to leave some allergic conditions as compared to x-rays and CT scan that use chemicals based on iodine which is highly allergic. MRI can generate multiple images from all directions and in any inclination. This makes MRI outstanding from other forms of imaging like CT scan and x-ray, which is based on one side. MRI can determine if appendicitis has spread and tell the best kind of treatment. This is a strength of MRI to other methods of screening. MRI scans have a significant advantage over other imaging techniques because it can cover large organs as compared to the other methods, which only include a small part.

The weakness of MRI testing

MRI is expensive compared to other forms of imaging. It cots ($1100-$1600) to have the test done. MRI also has a shortcoming where it cannot be at a position to examine all the cancers, especially cancers of breast shown by microcalcifications. This makes MRI scans not reliable, especially in cancer of the breast. MRI scans can’t tell the difference between benign tumors and malignant tumors, which could bring about false-positive results, thus making it not 1100% reliable. CT scans and Xray are specific of which tumor it is. MRI scan has some sounds which might scare the patient inside the machine if they choose to go in without earphones. MRI imaging is not painful, but the patient has to be still inside the computer the whole process, which may be challenging to claustrophobic patients. The intense magnetism field created by the MRI machine may affect a patient who has a metallic implant or fails to disclose a metallic object. MRI scan uses a contrasting agent which is introduced intravenously, which may cause skin infection at the injection site or cause some allergy. Patients who are sedated have a risk that comes along with sedation as compared to other imaging techniques.

Appendicitis prevalence and cost to treat annually

It is an inflammation that could bring about appendix infection. Approximately 7% of Americans are affected and are the primary cause that children have emergency surgery in the abdomen according to research done by the American Academy of Family Physicians. It mostly affects people of the age between 10-30.

It costs %10 billion to treat it annually in the Us and $50,000 per patient.

Image processing strategy

MRI acquires its image from magnetic fields created and get in line with atoms of hydrogen, which are exposed to radio waves. This rotates some protons of the body, and they make a small signal which is sensed by a receiver of the scanner in the MRI. A computer reads and processes the information to make an image. To have better clear images, the MRI scan has to be improved to the latest versions that scientists have come up with that removes errors found in the later machines. Untrained staff also contributes to poor images; thus, to improve on the image quality, a strategy to offer training to the staff will significantly boost more transparent images. Once the stuff has been trained sufficiently, the MRI scan handling improves, and thus better images are found.

Individual variability affects the results the MRI scanner will produce. For this to end, there is going to be a guideline on how things ought to be done. Thus deviation from the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) will be a violation of the instructions, and this could lead to the firing of the person who goes against the law. This strategy will improve the image quality and also enhance unity other than everybody having their way of doing things.

The scanner will get some upgrade, which will improve the image quality. When the procedure is done when the MRI is open, the image differs from when the MRI is closed. This strategy to improve the image quality by having the latest machines installed and address the unfortunate inconsistent problem in the MRIs.

TYPE I AND II ERRORS

Type I errors involve the