How to read your MRI: a simple guide for patients

First, a word of caution

Only a radiologist can interpret your MRI. This guide helps you understand what you are looking at, so you can ask better questions to your doctor — not to make a diagnosis yourself.

Series, slices and planes

An MRI exam is made of several series. Each series is a stack of thin slices, like pages in a book. Scroll through them to move through your body.

Slices are taken in three planes: axial (from top to bottom, as if looking at your feet), sagittal (from the side) and coronal (from the front).

T1, T2, FLAIR: why images look different

Each sequence highlights tissues differently. On T1, fluid looks dark and fat looks bright. On T2, fluid looks bright. FLAIR is a T2 where normal fluid is darkened, which makes some abnormalities stand out.

Series marked “Gd” or “post-contrast” were taken after injecting a contrast product.

Brightness and contrast (windowing)

In a DICOM viewer, dragging with the mouse changes brightness and contrast. This does not change the image data, only how it is displayed. Use Reset to go back to the original view.

Words you will find in the report

“Hyperintense” means brighter than surrounding tissue, “hypointense” darker. “Signal abnormality” means an area that looks different. “Unremarkable” means normal.

Write down your questions and bring them to your appointment.

View your MRI online

With scans.me you can import the CD or ZIP from your imaging center and view every slice in your browser, without installing software.