what is mra

MRA stands for Magnetic Resonance Angiography, which is a type of MRI that looks specifically at the bodys blood vessels. Unlike traditional angiography, which requires inserting a catheter into the body, MRA is a far less invasive and less painful test. During MRA, a powerful magnetic field, radio waves, and a computer are used to evaluate blood vessels and help identify abnormalities. MRA can detect narrowing or blockages in arteries in a noninvasive way. The test can check the blood vessels in many different parts of the body, including the brain, neck, heart, chest, abdomen, belly, pelvis, lower belly, arms, and legs. MRA can be done with or without contrast material, which is less likely to cause an allergic reaction than the contrast material used for computed tomography (CT) .