 |
|
COMMENTS AND OPINIONS
Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Stage IV Melanoma During Pregnancy
|
|
| Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings. |
|
|
|
In their recent article, Beyeler et al1 conclude that "staging procedures must avoid ionizing radiation" and state that "magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] is harmless to the fetus." This statement is misleading.
In the United Kingdom, the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB), now the Radiation Protection Division of the Health Protection Agency, suggests that pregnant women should not be offered MRI in the first 3 months of pregnancy. Although the results of studies on mammals were mostly negative, the National Radiological Protection Board considered it prudent to avoid MRI of pregnant women during the first trimester, until the consequences of exposure to time-varying magnetic field gradients become more clearly established. The radiofrequency fields used during MRI can cause heating effects in the mother and fetus. These, in turn, can cause adverse effects that may be avoidable if the temperatures in the tissues do not exceed 38°C. On this basis, the NRPB . . . [Full Text of this Article]
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Felicity A. Campbell, FRCP, UK, MRCGP;
Colin Campbell, FRCP, UK, FRCR
 CiteULike  Connotea  Del.icio.us  Digg  Reddit  Technorati  Twitter
What's this?
RELATED ARTICLES
Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Stage IV Melanoma During Pregnancy—Reply
Mirjam Beyeler and Jürg Hafner
Arch Dermatol. 2006;142(3):393.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Special Considerations for Stage IV Melanoma During Pregnancy
Mirjam Beyeler, Jürg Hafner, Ernst Beinder, Jean-Claude Fauchêre, Sandro J. Stoeckli, Mathias Fehr, and Reinhard Dummer
Arch Dermatol. 2005;141(9):1077-1079.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
|
