- With Mayo Clinic dermatologist
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
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Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Dr. Lawrence Gibson likens bad health information on the Internet to food poisoning.
Consumers, he said, need to be aware, and will find reliable information at MayoClinic.com.
Dr. Gibson, a Covington, Ky., native, has been with Mayo since 1986 and is board certified in dermatology, dermatopathology and immunodermatology. He is a professor of dermatology at Mayo Medical School and a consultant in the Department of Dermatology.
Dr. Gibson has been director of the Dermatopathology Laboratory since 1998 and chair of the Laboratory Division in the Department of Dermatology since 2000. He is especially interested in inflammatory disorders of the skin and lymphoma affecting the skin.
"Electronic information is becoming a staple in the diet of a health conscious society," he said. "It's important to avoid misinformation and provide a credible source for health information. Using this analogy, it's critical to avoid 'indigestion' or worse yet, 'food poisoning' by the ingestion of tainted information."
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Question
Tattoos and MRIs: What's the risk?
Is it true that you can't have an MRI if you have tattoos?
Answer
from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Generally, it's safe to have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) if you have tattoos. However, extra caution may be required.
MRI is a diagnostic test that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed cross-sectional images of your body. Reports of burns in tattooed areas — particularly in dark black tattoos — during MRIs have been widely circulated. It's unknown how often the problem occurs, however.
Some researchers suspect that the burns are related to the iron oxide in dark tattoo ink. Iron oxide is potentially magnetic. It also conducts electricity. If the iron oxide is heated during an MRI, the affected area may be burned.
If your doctor recommends an MRI, tell him or her about your tattoos. Likely, the benefits of the MRI will outweigh the risk of problems associated with your tattoos. To reduce the possibility of burning, your doctor may recommend placing ice packs or cool compresses over your tattoos during the MRI.
