A rare case of MRI-induced thermal burn: Clinical implications and safety awareness
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a widely used, noninvasive diagnostic tool in clinical practice, with millions of scans performed annually. Despite its safety profile, MRI is associated with several potential side effects, including rare but serious complications such as thermal burns. These bur...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Radiology Case Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043325000640 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849761540468637696 |
|---|---|
| author | Amer Abu-Shanab, MD Hamzeh Nasr, MD Ahmed Mohd, MD Mahmoud Shaweish, MD Ahmad Abdulraheem, MD Doantrang Du, MD |
| author_facet | Amer Abu-Shanab, MD Hamzeh Nasr, MD Ahmed Mohd, MD Mahmoud Shaweish, MD Ahmad Abdulraheem, MD Doantrang Du, MD |
| author_sort | Amer Abu-Shanab, MD |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a widely used, noninvasive diagnostic tool in clinical practice, with millions of scans performed annually. Despite its safety profile, MRI is associated with several potential side effects, including rare but serious complications such as thermal burns. These burns typically result from the interaction of radiofrequency (RF) energy with conductive materials in contact with the skin, or from improper positioning during the scan. This case report details a 76-year-old female who developed a thermal burn on her left elbow after undergoing an MRI of her right shoulder. The patient initially experienced localized heat, redness, and mild tenderness at the site, which later developed into an open wound, leading to a diagnosis of cellulitis. However, further evaluation revealed the wound to be a stage III burn, likely resulting from RF energy exposure during the MRI procedure. The patient had a history of diabetes, a condition that may have contributed to impaired thermoregulation, increasing her risk for thermal injury. The burn was managed with wound debridement, antibiotics, and regular follow-up care, ultimately healing over an 8-week period. This case underscores the importance of understanding the mechanisms of MRI-induced burns, the need for stringent safety protocols, and the role of postprocedure patient education. It also highlights the potential for delayed diagnosis of MRI-related burns, which can be mistaken for other conditions such as cellulitis. Early recognition and appropriate management are critical to preventing complications and ensuring optimal patient outcomes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6ea78be94f91437cae9663e34ee192c2 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1930-0433 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Radiology Case Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-6ea78be94f91437cae9663e34ee192c22025-08-20T03:06:00ZengElsevierRadiology Case Reports1930-04332025-05-012052243224710.1016/j.radcr.2025.01.069A rare case of MRI-induced thermal burn: Clinical implications and safety awarenessAmer Abu-Shanab, MD0Hamzeh Nasr, MD1Ahmed Mohd, MD2Mahmoud Shaweish, MD3Ahmad Abdulraheem, MD4Doantrang Du, MD5Department of Internal Medicine, Rutgers Health-Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, NJ, USADepartment of Internal Medicine, Rutgers Health-Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, NJ, USAFaculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan; Corresponding author.Department of Internal Medicine, Rutgers Health-Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, NJ, USADepartment of Internal Medicine, Medstar Georgetown Washington Hospital Center, DC, USADepartment of Internal Medicine, Rutgers Health-Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, NJ, USAMagnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a widely used, noninvasive diagnostic tool in clinical practice, with millions of scans performed annually. Despite its safety profile, MRI is associated with several potential side effects, including rare but serious complications such as thermal burns. These burns typically result from the interaction of radiofrequency (RF) energy with conductive materials in contact with the skin, or from improper positioning during the scan. This case report details a 76-year-old female who developed a thermal burn on her left elbow after undergoing an MRI of her right shoulder. The patient initially experienced localized heat, redness, and mild tenderness at the site, which later developed into an open wound, leading to a diagnosis of cellulitis. However, further evaluation revealed the wound to be a stage III burn, likely resulting from RF energy exposure during the MRI procedure. The patient had a history of diabetes, a condition that may have contributed to impaired thermoregulation, increasing her risk for thermal injury. The burn was managed with wound debridement, antibiotics, and regular follow-up care, ultimately healing over an 8-week period. This case underscores the importance of understanding the mechanisms of MRI-induced burns, the need for stringent safety protocols, and the role of postprocedure patient education. It also highlights the potential for delayed diagnosis of MRI-related burns, which can be mistaken for other conditions such as cellulitis. Early recognition and appropriate management are critical to preventing complications and ensuring optimal patient outcomes.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043325000640MRI-induced burnsRadiofrequency energyThermal injuryPatient safetyCase report |
| spellingShingle | Amer Abu-Shanab, MD Hamzeh Nasr, MD Ahmed Mohd, MD Mahmoud Shaweish, MD Ahmad Abdulraheem, MD Doantrang Du, MD A rare case of MRI-induced thermal burn: Clinical implications and safety awareness Radiology Case Reports MRI-induced burns Radiofrequency energy Thermal injury Patient safety Case report |
| title | A rare case of MRI-induced thermal burn: Clinical implications and safety awareness |
| title_full | A rare case of MRI-induced thermal burn: Clinical implications and safety awareness |
| title_fullStr | A rare case of MRI-induced thermal burn: Clinical implications and safety awareness |
| title_full_unstemmed | A rare case of MRI-induced thermal burn: Clinical implications and safety awareness |
| title_short | A rare case of MRI-induced thermal burn: Clinical implications and safety awareness |
| title_sort | rare case of mri induced thermal burn clinical implications and safety awareness |
| topic | MRI-induced burns Radiofrequency energy Thermal injury Patient safety Case report |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043325000640 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT amerabushanabmd ararecaseofmriinducedthermalburnclinicalimplicationsandsafetyawareness AT hamzehnasrmd ararecaseofmriinducedthermalburnclinicalimplicationsandsafetyawareness AT ahmedmohdmd ararecaseofmriinducedthermalburnclinicalimplicationsandsafetyawareness AT mahmoudshaweishmd ararecaseofmriinducedthermalburnclinicalimplicationsandsafetyawareness AT ahmadabdulraheemmd ararecaseofmriinducedthermalburnclinicalimplicationsandsafetyawareness AT doantrangdumd ararecaseofmriinducedthermalburnclinicalimplicationsandsafetyawareness AT amerabushanabmd rarecaseofmriinducedthermalburnclinicalimplicationsandsafetyawareness AT hamzehnasrmd rarecaseofmriinducedthermalburnclinicalimplicationsandsafetyawareness AT ahmedmohdmd rarecaseofmriinducedthermalburnclinicalimplicationsandsafetyawareness AT mahmoudshaweishmd rarecaseofmriinducedthermalburnclinicalimplicationsandsafetyawareness AT ahmadabdulraheemmd rarecaseofmriinducedthermalburnclinicalimplicationsandsafetyawareness AT doantrangdumd rarecaseofmriinducedthermalburnclinicalimplicationsandsafetyawareness |