A 35-year-old member asked:
what's the difference between the ct head the mri brain scan?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in

Dr. Garrett Caldwellanswered
Family Medicine 9 years experience
CT vs MRI: Ct's and mris can focus on different things. Ct is typically used to view bone and look for bleeding while mris are used to view tissues. Also, cts use radiation similar to xrays while and MRI does not expose the patient to any radiation. However, anyone with a magnetic metal in their body can not get an mri, since MRI uses a large magnet.
6.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Bennett Machanicanswered
Neurology 52 years experience
Radiation vrs magnet: Cat scanning employs radiation, MRI uses magnet technology. Ct better in looking at bones, larger structures, and MRI better with soft tissue. For brain, skull fracture better visualized with cat, multiple sclerosis plaques seen far better with mri.
5.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
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Last updated Dec 18, 2018
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