Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology is used to help diagnose several gastrointestinal (GI) disorders that affect abdominal organs, such as the liver, pancreas or colon. Disorders that may be diagnosed using this technology include:

• Arterial disorders. Arteries that carry blood to the digestive tract and kidneys may be examined with a form of MRI known as magnetic resonance angiography (MRA).
  
  
• Cirrhosis of the liver. Condition in which scar tissue builds up and prevents blood from flowing through the liver, preventing the organ from functioning properly. An MRI may be scheduled to provide a visual examination of the liver.
  

  

• Colon disorders. MRI can be used to help diagnose conditions that affect the colon, the part of the large intestine that runs from the cecum to the rectum. MRI is also sometimes used in virtual colonoscopy (VC), which uses x-rays and computers to produce two- and three-dimensional images of the colon from the lowest part (rectum) to the lower end of the small intestine.  Conditions that may be detected in this way include polyps, diverticulosis and colorectal cancer.
  

  

• Fecal incontinence. A condition in which patients cannot control their bowel movements. MRI may be used to visually evaluate the anal sphincter, a ring of muscle that contracts to close the anus.
  
  
• Gallstone disease. Gallstones form in the gallbladder or bile ducts of the liver. They are made up of cholesterol and bile pigment, or a combination of the two. A test called magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) uses MRI to create images of the bile and pancreatic ducts. Any abnormalities that are found may be further evaluated or treated with a technique called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), which uses a special endoscope to remove the stones.
  

  

• Intestinal ischemia. A variety of disorders that involve insufficient blood flow to the small intestine, the colon, or both. MRI of the abdomen may help diagnose this condition.
  
  
• Liver cancer and cholangiocarcinoma (cancer of the bile ducts). MRI technology can be use to create sectional views of the body in different planes and to reconstruct images of the biliary tree (the network of tubes and ducts that carry bile from the liver to the duodenum) and the arteries and veins of the liver.
  
  
• Nausea and vomiting. MRI scans of the GI tract, abdomen or brain may be used to uncover abnormalities that may be the source of these symptoms.
  
  
• Pancreatitis. Inflammation of the pancreas marked by swelling. In some cases, the pancreatic tissue may become damaged. An MRI may be performed to visually examine the pancreas for signs of this disease.
  
  
• Crohn's disease. An inflammatory bowel disease that causes deep tissue irritation and inflammation and can occur throughout the GI system. It most commonly occurs in the ileum (last part of the small intestine) and the cecum (first part of the large intestine). Although computed axial tomography (CAT) scans are more commonly used in diagnosis, MRI provides the highest quality images for Crohn’s disease that affects the perianal region.
  
  
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). A condition that involves inflammation and scarring of the bile ducts inside and outside the liver. Because the bile ducts become damaged, they prevent bile from flowing out of the liver. This buildup of bile can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure. PSC is diagnosed through a technique called cholangiography, which involves injecting dye into the bile ducts and taking an x-ray. Cholangiography is sometimes performed using MRI scans.