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Letters |1 December 1994

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain and Spine

Burton P. Drayer

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TO THE EDITOR:
I read with great interest the critique of MRI [1] and the review of its indications [2]. Although the observations are limited by the authors' lack of clinical imaging experience, an underestimation of the often definitive value of a normal study result, and an overestimation of the occurrence of false-positive results that would cause no difficulty for the experienced imaging physician, the thrust and efforts of the authors should be commended.
It has become popular to blame new imaging techniques for increasing health care costs, which is frustrating to imaging physicians who at times cannot present hard evidence but “know” that life for the patient is better. Magnetic resonance imaging currently provides accurate and safely acquired data in 10 minutes in an outpatient setting. By comparison, in 1974, pneumoencephalography and angiography provided less definitive information in 10 days in an inpatient setting. Society cannot blame compassionately applied “high-tech imaging” for the inability of medicine to cure or prolong life in a patient with a neoplasm, stroke, Alzheimer disease, or multiple sclerosis. Nevertheless, how can we hope to cure and better understand these diseases without accurate, safe, and efficient ways to diagnose them?
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Drayer BP. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain and Spine. Ann Intern Med. ;121:896–898. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-121-11-199412010-00018

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Published: Ann Intern Med. 1994;121(11):896-898.

DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-121-11-199412010-00018

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Print ISSN: 0003-4819 | Online ISSN: 1539-3704

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