kidney and urinary tract disorders
Imaging Tests of the Urinary Tract
Magnetic resonance imaging
 Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) (MRI), like CT, provides images of the urinary tract and surrounding structures. Unlike CT, MRI does not involve exposure to ionizing radiation. MRI can be used to provide images of blood vessels (called magnetic resonance angiography, or MRA). For some disorders, MRI provides more detail than CT. However, MRI does not provide much useful information about Use of Paramagnetic Contrast Agents given by vein makes MRI images clearer. This contrast agent is very different from the agent used in CT scans. However, paramagnetic contrast often cannot be used in people with poor kidney function because in those people the contrast agent rarely causes a serious and irreversible disorder called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, which affects the skin and other organs. 