Brain MRI vs Brain CT - 1257545

Hi shinbo, The doctors here have often said that either works fine for looking at mets to brain though the prefered use is MRI. I can't point to reasons why so I'll ask our radiology specialist to answer that directly.

All the best,
Janine

Without actual numbers to point to, I'd say that a CT of the brain is very good, but an MRI is still more sensitive than that. We prefer the best study, which is an MRI, but if there's a reason an MRI can't be done, whether it's the machine not being available, some metal implant or shrapnel precluding MRI being done safely, or a patient finding an MRI to be too claustrophobia-inducing (not rare, as an MRI is a harrowing experience for many), I consider a brain CT very acceptable.

I can't give an exact answer on the amount of radiation, but I'd say that if it's a single scan, it's completely trivial, and if someone is being followed for brain metastases, a minimal amount of radiation from repeated brain CT scans is not a realistic threat compared with the underlying disease. I strongly suspect that the drive to the scan or to the grocery store that day poses a greater risk.

-Dr. West