Use MRI instead of CT for some indications in midst of the current CT contrast shortage, according to an International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) editorial published June 2 in the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
The "current 'contrast crisis' brings to light new supply chain vulnerabilities in the delivery of imaging services and highlights the need to develop alternative imaging pathways for patient care," wrote an ISMRM group led by Dr. Scott Reeder, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
The editorial listed various measures radiology departments can take to conserve contrast, but it also suggested using MRI instead of contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) when possible.
"There is broad consensus across the Society that MRI/[MR angiography] is a clinically appropriate alternative to many clinical indications for which CECT or [CT angiography] are frequently performed," the ISMRM team wrote.
![Images show the pectoralis muscles of a healthy male individual who never smoked (age, 66 years; height, 178 cm; body mass index [BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared], 28.4; number of cigarette pack-years, 0; forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1], 97.6% predicted; FEV1: forced vital capacity [FVC] ratio, 0.71; pectoralis muscle area [PMA], 59.4 cm2; pectoralis muscle volume [PMV], 764 cm3) and a male individual with a smoking history and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) (age, 66 years; height, 178 cm; BMI, 27.5; number of cigarette pack-years, 43.2, FEV1, 48% predicted; FEV1:FVC, 0.56; PMA, 35 cm2; PMV, 480.8 cm3) from the Canadian Cohort Obstructive Lung Disease (i.e., CanCOLD) study. The CT image is shown in the axial plane. The PMV is automatically extracted using the developed deep learning model and overlayed onto the lungs for visual clarity.](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/03/genkin.25LqljVF0y.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&crop=focalpoint&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
