Gallstone

Gallstones are stones in the gallbladder or sometimes in the bile ducts. Many people have gallstones without symptoms, but when stones cause discomfort, they can cause pain high in the stomach or under the right rib cage, often after meals.

Typical symptoms may come in attacks and sometimes radiate to the back or shoulder. Nausea is common. If fever, jaundice or severe impaction is added, it may be a sign of a complication and should be assessed urgently.

Abdominal MRI may be relevant when the bile ducts, liver, pancreas, or other abdominal organs need to be examined in more detail.

In cases of suspected gallstones, ultrasound is often used as the first examination. Abdominal MRI, and especially MRCP, may be relevant when a closer look at the bile ducts is needed, for example when there is suspicion of stones in the bile duct, obstruction, abnormal liver tests or unclear pain where the bile ducts need to be assessed.

MRI may also be relevant if previous examinations have not provided a clear enough answer or if the pancreas, liver and biliary tract need to be assessed in the same context.

MRI of the abdomen is often chosen when the question concerns organs and soft tissues in the abdomen. For certain complaints, ultrasound, computed tomography, blood tests or endoscopy may be more relevant. The choice depends on what you need to get an answer to.

Abdominal MRI can provide detailed images of several organs in the abdomen, such as the liver, biliary tract, pancreas, kidneys, adrenal glands, spleen and surrounding soft tissues. The examination may show cysts, inflammatory changes, fluid changes, suspicious findings for tumors, biliary tract changes or other abnormalities that need to be assessed further.

Not all findings indicate serious illness. Some changes are common and benign, while others need to be checked, supplemented with samples or investigated with a more targeted examination. Therefore, radiological examination and medical review are important.

MRI primarily shows structures in organs and soft tissues. Stomach and intestinal problems may sometimes need to be investigated with other methods, such as blood tests, stool tests, gastroscopy, colonoscopy or ultrasound.

Ultrasound, blood tests and clinical assessment are often central to gallstone problems. Blood tests can show inflammation, cholestasis or effects on the liver and pancreas. In case of complications, emergency care and other imaging tests may be needed.

Abdominal MRI is therefore not always the first step, but can provide important information when the bile ducts or nearby organs need to be examined in more detail.

Abdominal MRI can provide a lot of information about abdominal organs, but it should not be seen as a substitute for all other diagnostics. Sometimes the combination of clinical examination, blood tests and imaging diagnostics is what gives the best answer.

Acute or rapidly worsening abdominal complaints should not wait for a scheduled private MRI examination. Seek immediate medical attention for severe abdominal pain, fever with poor general condition, blood in stool or vomit, persistent vomiting, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, fainting, or rapidly increasing pain.

Abdominal MRI via Prevcare is a planned examination for non-acute situations where abdominal organs need to be examined with an MRI and the results should be assessed by a radiologist.

You can find the current price and book directly on the MRI abdominal page . The examination can be booked privately without a referral via Prevcare.

The examination includes imaging with an MRI camera, radiological examination, written report and review with a specialist. If the results show findings that need to be followed up, Prevcare can help you further with a referral if necessary.

If the question does not only concern the abdomen but you want to examine several parts of the body preventively, a whole-body MRI may be an alternative. However, in the case of clear symptoms or questions from the abdomen, a targeted abdominal MRI is often more relevant.