Magnetic resonance venography (MRV) is an imaging test that is used to visualize veins in the body. Veins are the blood vessels that bring blood from your body’s organs back to your heart and lungs so the blood can be replenished with oxygen and nutrients.
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How Magnetic Resonance Venography Works
It may not surprise you that an MRV is done using the same medical equipment that is used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is a large machine that uses a sophisticated and fascinating technique to create a picture that represents what is going on inside the body).
More specifically, an MRI machine uses specialized magnets that “read” information, which is then sent to a computer with a built-in, calibrated software that can interpret the information generated from the magnetic equipment.
This information is used to recreate an image of the body, which your health care team can look at as they evaluate your medical problem.
An MRI machine can be adjusted to visualize images of different parts of the body, including shapes, solid areas, and blood or blood vessels. Sometimes an MRI is used to view tumors, traumatic injuries, and diseases such as stroke.
With visualizing blood vessels, it’s important to not confuse magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) with an MRV. An MRA is used to look at arteries (a type of blood vessel that brings oxygen-rich blood to the body’s organs) while MRV looks at veins.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Purpose of Magnetic Resonance Venography
This is why it’s more common to hear about MRI (which creates a picture of the organ itself, not so much the blood vessels) or MRA (which is focused on creating a picture of the artery) than it is to hear about MRV.
One specific condition that is evaluated with an MRV is called cerebral venous thrombosis, which is a blood clot in the veins of the brain. While strokes and brain disease are highly uncommon in young women of childbearing age, there is a slightly increased risk during pregnancy.
What to Expect in a Diagnostic Scan of the Head and Brain
Contraindications for Undergoing an MRV
An MRI machine uses a magnet, and therefore you cannot have an MRV (or an MRI or MRA) if you have an implanted metal device in your body. The force of the powerful magnet used in the MRI machine can cause serious problems, such as dislocation of the magnet or injury. Similarly, if you have a pacemaker, the magnet can cause the pacemaker to malfunction, with potentially serious consequences.
A Word From Verywell
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Neurological Diagnostic Tests and Procedures Fact Sheet. National Institutes of Health. August 2019.Vascular Disease. Cleveland Clinic. May 2019.Tate J, Bushnell C.Pregnancy and stroke risk in women.Womens Health (Lond). 2011;7(3):363-74. doi:10.2217/whe.11.19Favoni V, Pierangeli G, Toni F, et al.Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Without Papilledema (IIHWOP) in Chronic Refractory Headache.Front Neurol. 2018;9:503. doi:10.3389/fneur.2018.00503Are MRI Scans Safe If You Have a Pacemaker or Implanted Device?. Cleveland Clinic. February 2017.Additional ReadingBidot S, Saindane AM, Peragallo JH, Bruce BB, Newman NJ, Biousse V. Brain imaging in idiopathic intracranial hypertension.J Neuroophthalmol. 2015 Dec;35(4):400-11Raets M, Dudink J, Raybaud C, Ramenghi L, Lequin M, Govaert P. Brain vein disorders in newborn infants.Dev Med Child Neurol.2015 Mar;57(3):229-40
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Neurological Diagnostic Tests and Procedures Fact Sheet. National Institutes of Health. August 2019.Vascular Disease. Cleveland Clinic. May 2019.Tate J, Bushnell C.Pregnancy and stroke risk in women.Womens Health (Lond). 2011;7(3):363-74. doi:10.2217/whe.11.19Favoni V, Pierangeli G, Toni F, et al.Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Without Papilledema (IIHWOP) in Chronic Refractory Headache.Front Neurol. 2018;9:503. doi:10.3389/fneur.2018.00503Are MRI Scans Safe If You Have a Pacemaker or Implanted Device?. Cleveland Clinic. February 2017.Additional ReadingBidot S, Saindane AM, Peragallo JH, Bruce BB, Newman NJ, Biousse V. Brain imaging in idiopathic intracranial hypertension.J Neuroophthalmol. 2015 Dec;35(4):400-11Raets M, Dudink J, Raybaud C, Ramenghi L, Lequin M, Govaert P. Brain vein disorders in newborn infants.Dev Med Child Neurol.2015 Mar;57(3):229-40
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Neurological Diagnostic Tests and Procedures Fact Sheet. National Institutes of Health. August 2019.Vascular Disease. Cleveland Clinic. May 2019.Tate J, Bushnell C.Pregnancy and stroke risk in women.Womens Health (Lond). 2011;7(3):363-74. doi:10.2217/whe.11.19Favoni V, Pierangeli G, Toni F, et al.Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Without Papilledema (IIHWOP) in Chronic Refractory Headache.Front Neurol. 2018;9:503. doi:10.3389/fneur.2018.00503Are MRI Scans Safe If You Have a Pacemaker or Implanted Device?. Cleveland Clinic. February 2017.
Neurological Diagnostic Tests and Procedures Fact Sheet. National Institutes of Health. August 2019.
Vascular Disease. Cleveland Clinic. May 2019.
Tate J, Bushnell C.Pregnancy and stroke risk in women.Womens Health (Lond). 2011;7(3):363-74. doi:10.2217/whe.11.19
Favoni V, Pierangeli G, Toni F, et al.Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Without Papilledema (IIHWOP) in Chronic Refractory Headache.Front Neurol. 2018;9:503. doi:10.3389/fneur.2018.00503
Are MRI Scans Safe If You Have a Pacemaker or Implanted Device?. Cleveland Clinic. February 2017.
Bidot S, Saindane AM, Peragallo JH, Bruce BB, Newman NJ, Biousse V. Brain imaging in idiopathic intracranial hypertension.J Neuroophthalmol. 2015 Dec;35(4):400-11Raets M, Dudink J, Raybaud C, Ramenghi L, Lequin M, Govaert P. Brain vein disorders in newborn infants.Dev Med Child Neurol.2015 Mar;57(3):229-40
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