MRI with contrast
A contrast-enhanced MRI is a standard MRI scan with a gadolinium-based dye injected into a vein. The dye builds up where there are many blood vessels or where the barrier between blood and tissue is damaged: in tumours, areas of inflammation, scars, fresh multiple sclerosis lesions. These areas light up on the images. The doctor sees changes that would otherwise blend into healthy tissue. At Oberig Clinic contrast MRI is done on Siemens Magnetom Vida 3 Tesla and Magnetom Sempra 1.5 Tesla scanners.
What contrast MRI shows
Contrast answers the question "what is this lump?". A simple cyst does not take up the dye. A tumour does, and the speed and pattern of uptake tell the radiologist about its nature. The dye shows tumour edges before surgery, metastases a few millimetres across, active MS lesions (old ones stay dark), abscesses, scar tissue after spine surgery and tiny pituitary tumours. In vessel scans it makes the arteries and veins visible along their full length. After cancer treatment, a follow-up contrast MRI shows if there is any regrowth.
MRI with and without contrast: the difference
A plain MRI shows anatomy: the shape and size of organs, disc herniations, cysts, bleeding, swelling. Contrast adds function: how blood reaches the tissue. For injuries, slipped discs, meniscus tears or measuring a cyst, you usually do not need it. For cancer, inflammation, MS, the pituitary, the liver and the female pelvis, the report is incomplete without it. A contrast scan also takes 10-15 minutes longer and costs more. Not sure if you need it? The radiologist reads your referral and decides. Sometimes the plain series already answer the question, and the dye is not needed.
Why and where contrast is used
Contrast is most often needed for the brain (tumours, metastases, MS, after surgery), the liver and pancreas, kidneys, breasts, pelvic organs, the bowel (MR enterography in Crohn's disease) and blood vessels.
The pituitary deserves a special note. It sits in a small bony pocket called the sella turcica. Microadenomas of 2-5 mm upset prolactin, cortisol or growth hormone levels. They often show up only after the dye goes in. That is why an endocrinologist orders a pituitary MRI with contrast.
A pelvic MRI with contrast is ordered by a gynaecologist or gynaecologic oncologist for endometriosis, fibroids before embolisation, a suspected tumour of the cervix, ovaries or uterine lining. Urologists and proctologists order it for bladder and rectal tumours. Contrast helps tell scar tissue from a recurrence after treatment.
Types of contrast agents
Most scans use an extracellular gadolinium agent. It travels in the blood and leaves through the kidneys within a day. The dose depends on your weight, usually a few millilitres. For the liver there is a special liver-specific agent, Primovist. Healthy liver cells take it up, tumour cells do not. It helps find lesions a few millimetres in size and tell a harmless focal nodular hyperplasia from an adenoma or a metastasis. Liver MRI with Primovist is a separate line in the price list.
Contrast MRI or contrast CT? They are not interchangeable. CT is faster and better for the lungs, bones and acute bleeding, but its iodine dye causes reactions more often. MRI is more accurate for the brain, liver, pelvis and soft tissue, with no radiation. Your doctor, who knows your case, makes the choice.
Is contrast MRI safe?
Gadolinium agents are tolerated far better than the iodine dye used for CT. Allergic reactions are rare and mostly mild: nausea, itching, a rash. MRI uses no radiation at all. The main limit is the kidneys. The dye leaves the body in urine, so with severe kidney failure (filtration rate below 30 ml/min) it is not given. You may have heard about traces of gadolinium staying in the body after many scans. No harm to health has been proven. Still, that is exactly why we use contrast only when there is a reason, never "just in case". The department has everything for emergency care, and anaesthetists work at the clinic.
How to prepare
Preparation depends on your age and health. The general steps:
- if you are over 65, have diabetes or kidney disease, get a blood creatinine test in advance to work out your kidney filtration rate,
- if you have ever reacted to any contrast dye, book a visit with the anaesthetist for special preparation,
- when you book, tell us about a pacemaker, metal implants, clips, braces or pregnancy,
- for abdominal and pelvic scans do not eat for 4 hours, and for the pelvis come with a moderately full bladder,
- bring a referral with the clinical question and earlier images, the radiologist checks if the uptake has changed.
Can I eat before a contrast MRI of other areas? A light meal is fine. We suggest skipping a heavy meal for 3-4 hours to avoid nausea. Water is fine. What not to do: stop your medicines on your own, come without a creatinine result if you need one, or keep an allergy to yourself.
What happens during the scan
A nurse places a thin cannula in the vein at your elbow. You lie on the table. First come the standard series without contrast. Then an automatic pump injects the dye. You may feel a slight chill in your arm. A few more series follow. The whole scan takes 30-45 minutes, sometimes up to an hour. Keep still. On the Sempra scanner, Quiet Suite cuts noise by up to 97%. You can talk to the radiographer through an intercom and you hold a call button. If you feel unwell at any point, say so straight away.
Children have the same scan. Kids under 6 may need sedation. Under 1 year, contrast is given only for strict reasons and with a referral. After the scan the cannula comes out, and you stay under observation for about 30 minutes.
Common questions
Is there anything I should avoid after the scan?
No strict rules. Drink plenty of water that day to help clear the dye. You can drive, work and eat as usual. Most people feel nothing at all after the scan. If you notice a rash or itching, tell the doctor.
How often can I have a contrast MRI?
There is no hard limit. But contrast is used only when it changes your doctor's decision. In cancer and MS, follow-up scans are usually every 3-12 months according to the treatment plan.
Does the injection hurt?
No. You only feel the needle as the cannula goes in. The dye itself may feel cold in your arm or leave a metallic taste. Both pass in a minute. A warm or flushed feeling, common with CT dye, is rare with MRI contrast.
Do I need a referral?
It is best to have one. The radiologist needs to know the clinical question to pick the right series and to decide if contrast is needed at all.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding?
In pregnancy contrast is not used unless absolutely necessary, and the decision is made with a gynaecologist. If you breastfeed, ask your doctor if you need a break.
Contrast MRI prices at Oberig Clinic
The cost is the price of the body area plus contrast enhancement at UAH 2,745. For example, a brain MRI at 1.5 Tesla costs UAH 3,480, or UAH 6,225 with contrast. Some scans in the price list already include contrast, so check the table before you add it. You get the report within 24 hours, except weekends and public holidays.
| Scan | Price |
|---|---|
| Contrast enhancement for MRI (1.5 or 3 Tesla), added to the area price | UAH 2,745 |
| Brain, 1.5 Tesla (no contrast) | UAH 3,480 |
| Pituitary, 3 Tesla (no contrast) | UAH 6,345 |
| Female pelvis, 3 Tesla (no contrast) | UAH 6,095 |
| Multiparametric brain MRI with contrast, spectroscopy and perfusion, 3 Tesla | UAH 8,735 |
| MR enterography with contrast, 3 Tesla | UAH 8,175 |
| Liver with Primovist, 3 Tesla | UAH 8,797 |
| Breasts with contrast, 3 Tesla | UAH 8,790 |
Prices are taken from the clinic price list as of 01.10.2026 and may change. Please check the current cost with our call centre.
Why choose Oberig Clinic
- Two Siemens scanners. Magnetom Vida 3 Tesla with a wide bore for patients up to 200 kg, and Magnetom Sempra 1.5 Tesla with a quiet mode. The clinic is a Siemens reference centre.
- Safe use of contrast. Before the injection we check your kidney function and allergy history. In complex cases an anaesthetist plans the preparation.
- A second read of every scan. Reports follow the American College of Radiology protocol. The team is led by Taras Matsiievskyi, with Iryna Mykytenko and Oleksandr Lysenko.
- Treatment nearby. Oncology, neurology, endocrinology, gynaecology and surgery work in the same clinic as the Diagnostic Department.
Address: 3 Zoolohichna St, buildings "G" and "V", Kyiv. Book online at https://my.oberig.ua/ua/appointment/ or call +38 044 521 30 03.
MRI with contrast?
