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No, except for the fact that they
both use computers and they are both used for medical diagnosis,
they really have very little in common. One of the most important
differences between a CAT scan and an MRI is the fact that
CAT scans use X-ray radiation and MRI scans do not. In other
words, CAT scans are nothing more than computerized X-rays.
As you probably already know, X-rays can be harmful and it
is important therefore to avoid unnecessary exposure to them.
Although there are still some situations in which a CAT scan
should be instead of an MRI-your physician will be able to
tell you when this is the case and why-for the most part,
MRIs are diagnostically superior, especially if soft tissue
is involved. If a CAT scan and an MRI are diagnostically equivalent
in a particular situation, an MRI is the better choice because
it will not subject you to any ionizing radiation. Instead,
MRIs use harmless radio waves. In addition to the superior
portrayal of soft tissue, MRIs provide much more flexibility
in portraying cross-sectional planes of the body. Unlike a
CAT scanner which is relatively limited to when it comes to
plane selection, an MRI can provide a cross-sectional image
taken at any plane in the human body..
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