Hello, my name is Amira. My question is: Can an MRI of an aneurysm in the brainbe taken without the dye. Thank you.

	Asked by coloncancer2x (Male; 64; Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gout; Relevant drugs:Januvia, Ramipril, allopurinol ) on Thu 28, Jan 2010 03:24pm :
	Can an MRI of an aneurysm or tumor in the brain be taken without the dye. Thank you.
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	Answer by Dr.Kokil Mathur (oncologist) on Thu 28, Jan 2010 05:52pm: Hi Amira! A cerebral aneurysm is usually diagnosed by an angiogram or a magnetic resonance angiography (MRA. A dye is injected for both angiogram and MRA through a vein in the neck and it shows the exact location of the aneurysm. A plain MRI can also be done to detect and locate an aneurysm. However before planning any treatment an angiogram or a MRA will have to be done to locate the exact position, shape and size of the aneurysm. Further a CT scan is done to locate any bleed. A spinal tap is done to locate any bleed in the cerebrospinal fluid. Hope this helps answer your query. Please feel free to get in touch if you need to know anything else. Take care! Thank you for using our service.  If you are satisfied with the answer or if you want a detailed answer for your question, please make a donation and request for further clarifications.  Our oncologists will provide an elaborate answer for your clarification.   Please make a donation by clicking the button below. You may donate using funds from your PayPal account or Credit Card. Please rate my answer (select the stars below, no need to log in.)
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	Follow up: Clarification / Comment by Dr Bhupinder K, MD on Fri 29, Jan 2010 01:23am: Hello, Welcome to the forum. Dr Kokil has rightly told you that aneurysms of brain are best diagnosed by MRI head and MRA(magnetic resonance angiography). While MRA is usually done with contrast, MRI head for aneursyms and brain tumors can be done without contrast also. The contrast material used in MRI exams is less likely to produce an allergic reaction than the iodine-based materials used for conventional x-rays and CT scanning. For both aneurysms and tumors, MRI can be done with or without contrast. An MRI with contrast is more sensitive (is more likely to detect a tumor/aneurysm) than an MRI without contrast. Contrast can enhance images of blood vessels and the site of a ruptured aneurysm. So the view is better but the decision lies solely with the radiologist/ neurologist who can examine the patient and then decide. I hope it helps. Take care and please do keep us posted in case you have any additional doubts. Kind regards.
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