Will I need an injection for my MRI?

Not always — it depends on what your doctor is looking for. Sometimes, a special dye called a contrast agent is injected into your vein before or during an MRI exam. This dye helps tumors show up more brightly in the pictures, which can give your care team clearer information about what they are seeing.

If your MRI does not require this kind of detail, you may not need an injection at all. Your care team will let you know beforehand whether contrast is part of your particular scan, so you know what to expect.

An MRI itself works by using a powerful magnet and radio waves to take pictures of your body in slices, which are then combined into detailed images. The contrast injection, when it is used, is simply an extra step to sharpen certain parts of those images. If you have questions about the injection, such as how it is given or what it might feel like, ask your care team ahead of your appointment.