MRI CPT Codes

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More CPT Codes: CT | Nuclear Medicine | PET/CT | PET/MR | Ultrasound

Premedication for Contrast Allergy

  • Patients with hives or rash must be pre-medicated for an IV contrast CT scan (not oral contrast).
  • Patients with vomiting or dizziness with IV contrast or shellfish allergy do not require premedication.
  • Patients with anaphylaxis or laryngeal edema should be discussed with radiologist before the exam and/or premedication is ordered.

Premedication Protocol

  • Prednisone: 50 mg PO (three doses total) to be taken 13 hours, 7 hours and 1 hour prior to appointment.
  • Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) (optional): 50 mg PO to be taken 1 hour prior to exam.

Breast/Chest/Cardiac MRI

CPT Code 77049

IMG 2622

  • Newly diagnosed breast cancer
  • High risk screening for breast cancer

CPT Code 77047

IMG 3252

  • Silicone only implant evaluation

CPT Code 77048

IMG 4330 (Left)

IMG 4504 (Right)

CPT Code 77046

IMG 1639 (Left)

IMG 1638 (Right)

CPT Code 71550

IMG 2400

  • Lung cancer
  • Pleural disease
  • Mediastinal/thymic mass
  • Chest wall mass
  • Pancoast tumor
  • Brachial plexus mass/lesion/plexopathy

CPT Code 71550

IMG 2400

  • See list of indications for MRI Chest w/ and w/o contrast
  • Pectoralis tear (bony chest)
  • Patient with renal insufficiency or hemodialysis
  • Rib mass/fracture (bony chest)
  • Patient pregnant

CPT Code 71555C

IMG 2412

  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Thoracic aorta
  • Suspected dissection
  • Post ascending aortic repair
  • Follow-up of aortic root dilatation
  • Ascending aortic aneurysm
  • Pulmonary arteriovenous malformation
  • Thoracic outlet syndrome
  • Subclavian disease

CPT Code 71555A

IMG 2410

See list of indications for MRA Chest W and W/O Contrast

(Not typically performed without contrast; consult radiologist to discuss alternative imaging)

  • Thoracic aorta dissection
  • Patient with renal insufficiency or hemodialysis
  • Patient pregnant

CPT Code 75561

IMG 2597

  • Cardiomyopathy / right ventricular dysplasia
  • Congenital heart disease
  • Coronary MR angiogram
  • Any of the above with valve disease (Add CPT Code 75565 Cardiac MRI for velocity flow mapping)

CPT Code 75557

IMG 2593

  • Right ventricular dysplasia
  • Patient with renal insuffi ciency or hemodialysis
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Patient pregnant

CPT Code 75563

IMG 2599

Musculoskeletal MRI

CPT Code 70336

IMG 2315

  • Arthritis
  • TMJ disc abnormality
  • Osteonecrosis (AVN)

CPT Code 70336

IMG 2316

  • Arthritis/Synovitis
  • Mass/Tumor

CPT Code 71550

IMG 8055

  • Rib fracture, costochondral cartilage injury
  • Muscle, tendon or nerve injury

CPT Code 71552

IMG 8056

  • Mass/Tumor
  • Infection

CPT Code 71550

IMG 2400

  • See list of indications for MRI Chest w/ and w/o contrast
  • Pectoralis tear (bony chest)
  • Patient with renal insufficiency or hemodialysis
  • Rib mass/fracture (bony chest)
  • Patient pregnant

CPT Code 71555C

IMG 2412

  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Thoracic aorta
    • Suspected dissection
    • Post ascending aortic repair
    • Follow-up of aortic root dilatation
    • Ascending aortic aneurysm
  • Pulmonary arteriovenous malformation
  • Thoracic outlet syndrome
  • Subclavian disease

CPT Code 73218

IMG 7721 (Left)

IMG 7720 (Right)

  • Fracture
  • Muscle, tendon or nerve injury

CPT Code 73220

IMG 7723 (Left)

IMG 7722 (Right)

  • Mass/Tumor
  • Infection

CPT Code 73218

IMG 2456 (Left)

IMG 2455 (Right)

  • Fracture
  • Muscle, tendon or nerve injury

CPT Code 73220

IMG 2476 (Left)

IMG 2475 (Right)

  • Mass/Tumor
  • Infection

CPT Code 73218

IMG 2452 (Left)

IMG 2451 (Right)

  • Fracture
  • Muscle, tendon or nerve injury

CPT Code 73220

IMG 2472 (Left)

IMG 2471 (Right)

  • Mass/Tumor
  • Infection

CPT Code 73218

IMG 2454 (Left)

IMG 2453 (Right)

  • Fracture
  • Muscle, tendon or nerve injury

CPT Code 73220

IMG 2474 (Left)

IMG 2473 (Right)

  • Mass/Tumor
  • Infection
  • Tenosynovitis

CPT Code 73218

IMG 2450 (Left)

IMG 3257 (Right)

  • Fracture
  • Muscle, tendon or nerve injury

CPT Code 73220

IMG 2470 (Left)

IMG 2469 (Right)

  • Mass/Tumor
  • Infection
  • Tenosynovitis

CPT Code 73221

IMG 2482 (Left)

IMG 2481 (Right)

  • Muscle, tendon (rotator cuff) or nerve injury
  • Fracture
  • Osteoarthritis/Cartilage injury

CPT Code 73222

IMG 2488 (Left)

IMG 2487 (Right)

  • Labral (SLAP) tear
  • Rotator cuff tear

CPT Code 73223

IMG 2494 (Left)

IMG 2493 (Right)

  • Mass/Tumor
  • Inflammatory arthritis
  • Infection

CPT Code 73221

IMG 2480 (Left)

IMG 2479 (Right)

  • Muscle, tendon or nerve injury
  • Fracture

CPT Code 73222

IMG 2486 (Left)

IMG 2485 (Right)

  • Ligament (UCL) injury
  • Osteochondral lesion (OCD)
  • Cartilage injury or repair
  • Loose body

CPT Code 73223

IMG 2492 (Left)

IMG 2491 (Right)

  • Mass/Tumor
  • Inflammatory arthritis
  • Infection

CPT Code 73221

IMG 2484 (Left)

IMG 2483 (Right)

  • Fracture
  • Tendon or nerve injury
  • Osteonecrosis (AVN)

CPT Code 73222

IMG 2490 (Left)

IMG 2489 (Right)

  • Ligament injury
  • Triangular fibrocartilage (TFC) complex injury

CPT Code 73223

IMG 2496 (Left)

IMG 2495 (Right)

  • Ganglion cyst/mass/tumor
  • Infection
  • Inflammatory arthritis, tenosynovitis

CPT Code 73223

IMG 2498 (Left)

IMG 2497 (Right)

IMG 2499 (Bilat)

  • Inflammatory arthritis, synovitis, erosions

CPT Code 72195

IMG 8053

  • Muscle, tendon, or nerve injury
  • Fracture, osteonecrosis (AVN)
  • Athletic pubalgia, sports hernia

CPT Code 72197

IMG 2438

  • Mass/Tumor
  • Inflammatory arthritis, synovitis, erosions, sacroiliitis
  • Infection

CPT Code 73718

IMG 1392 (Left)

IMG 1389 (Right)

  • Fracture
  • Muscle, tendon or nerve injury

CPT Code 73720

IMG 2515 (Left)

IMG 2514 (Right)

  • Mass/Tumor
  • Infection

CPT Code 73718

IMG 3123 (Left)

IMG 3124 (Right)

  • Fracture
  • Muscle, tendon or nerve injury

CPT Code 73720

IMG 2511 (Left)

IMG 2510 (Right)

  • Mass/Tumor
  • Infection

CPT Code 73718

IMG 2521 (Left)

IMG 2520 (Right)

  • Fracture
  • Muscle, ligament (Lisfranc), tendon or nerve injury

CPT Code 73720

IMG 2513 (Left)

IMG 2512 (Right)

  • Mass/Tumor
  • Infection

CPT Code 73718

IMG 3259 (Left)

IMG 3261 (Right)

  • Fracture
  • Muscle, tendon or nerve injury

CPT Code 73720

IMG 2517 (Left)

IMG 2516 (Right)

  • Mass/Tumor
  • Infection

CPT Code 73721

IMG 2529 (Left)

IMG 2528 (Right)

  • Muscle, tendon or nerve injury
  • Fracture
  • Osteonecrosis (AVN)

CPT Code 73722

IMG 2540 (Left)

IMG 2539 (Right)

  • Labral tear
  • Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)

CPT Code 73723

IMG 2550 (Left)

IMG 2549 (Right)

  • Mass/Tumor
  • Inflammatory arthritis
  • Infection

CPT Code 73721

IMG 2531 (Left)

IMG 2530 (Right)

  • Meniscus, ligament (ACL) tendon or nerve injury
  • Fracture
  • Osteonecrosis (AVN)

CPT Code 73722

IMG 2542 (Left)

IMG 2541 (Right)

  • Meniscus tear or repair
  • Cartilage injury or repair
  • Osteochondral lesion (OCD)
  • Loose body

CPT Code 73723

IMG 2552 (Left)

IMG 2551 (Right)

  • Mass/Tumor
  • Inflammatory arthritis
  • Infection

CPT Code 73721

IMG 2527 (Left)

IMG 2526 (Right)

  • Tendon or ligament injury
  • Fracture, osteonecrosis (AVN)
  • Osteochondral lesion (OCD)

CPT Code 73722

  • Osteochondral lesion (OCD)
  • Cartilage injury or repair
  • Loose body

CPT Code 73723

IMG 2548 (Left)

IMG 2547 (Right)

  • Mass/Tumor
  • Inflammatory arthritis, tenosynovitis
  • Infection

Brain/Spine MRI

Each exam takes about 45 minutes of scanning.  For patient comfort, if you are ordering more than one exam please consider scheduling on multiple days.

CPT Code 70551

IMG 2347

  • B2 headache/acute trauma/shunt evaluation/stroke/renal insufficiency/hemodialysis
  • B3 memory loss/dementia/Alzheimer’s disease/normal pressure hydrocephalus
  • Patient pregnant

CPT Code 70553

IMG 2370

  • B2 new seizure evaluation (Add CPT Codes 70544 & 70549; MRA Head W/O and MRA Neck w/ and w/o to include angiograms)
  • B2 sinus thrombosis (Add CPT Code 70546 MRA/MRV Head W and W/O)
  • B2 suspected brain tumor/rule out metastatic disease
  • B3 known brain tumor/metastatic disease (includes perfusion and 3-D sequences)
  • B12 elevated prolactin levels/pituitary lesions (microadenoma or macroadenoma)
  • B6 high resolution temporal lobe/chronic seizures (epileptic) (3T)
  • B2 infection/abscess/meningitis/AIDS
  • B05 Multiple Sclerosis (3T)
  • E9 high resolution skull base/tinnitus/cholesteatoma/sensorineural hearing loss/acoustic
  • neuroma/ Bell’s palsy/Meniere’s disease/cranial nerves V, VII-XII
  • (E9 does not include whole brain unless specifically requested)

CPT Code 70543

IMG 2326 (Orbits)

IMG 2324 (Face)

IMG 2325 (Neck)

  • E1 Orbits – A high resolution exam to include the orbits and optic pathways
    • Indications include:
    • Graves’ disease – Orbit or eye swelling
    • Exophthalmos/proptosis – Optic neuritis/optic nerve lesion/tumor/infection
    • Diplopia/double-vision – Cranial nerves I-VI
    • Visual field defect – Perineural spread of tumor
    • (Add CPT Code 70553 for Brain w/ and w/o if whole brain assessment is also required)
  • E3 Face and Paranasal Sinuses – A high-resolution exam of the face and sinuses
    • Indications include:
    • Sinusitis – Sinonasal cancer
    • Known or suspected lesion in oropharynx/nasopharynx/tongue /floor of mouth
  • E2 Neck (Soft Tissue) – A survey exam imaging from above the orbits to the thoracic inlet
    • Indications include:
    • Infection – Neck mass
    • Vocal cord paralysis – Adenopathy
    • Known or suspected lesion in thyroid/parathyroid/parotid gland

CPT Code 70540

IMG 2320 (Orbits)

IMG 2318 (Face)

IMG 2319 (Neck)

(Not typically performed without contrast; consult radiologist to discuss alternative imaging)

CPT Codes 72156 & 71552

IMG 2409 (Left)

IMG 7584 (Right)

  • Evaluate for mass lesions, entrapment or denervation

Each exam is 20-30 minutes. Total spine MRI is rarely well tolerated by patients in pain.

CPT Code 72141 (IMG 2413) – C-Spine

CPT Code 72146 (IMG 2418) – T-Spine

CPT Code 72148 (IMG 2421) – L-Spine

  • Pain
  • Stenosis
  • Trauma/fracture
  • Radiculopathy
  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Syrinx
  • Herniated disc
  • Post-op evaluation

Each exam is 20-30 minutes. Total spine MRI is rarely well tolerated by patients in pain.

CPT Code 72156 (IMG 2423) – C-Spine

CPT Code 72157 (IMG 2425) – T-Spine

CPT Code 72158 (IMG 2426) – L-Spine

  • Infection/discitis
  • Epidural abscess or hematoma
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Tumor/cancer/metastases
  • Myelopathy/transverse myelitis

CPT Codes 72156, 72157, & 72158

IMG 2672

CPT Codes 70546 & 70553

  • Known or suspected arteriovenous malformation (Requires MRI Brain w/ and w/o contrast, CPT code 70553) IMG2337

Often combined with MRA Neck and MRI Brain

CPT Code 70544

IMG 2327

  • Known or suspected aneurysm
  • TIA/stroke

Requires MRI Brain w/ and w/o, CPT code 70553

CPT Codes 70544 & 70553

IMG 2331

  • Suspected venous sinus thrombosis
  • Venous varix/Galen vein anomalies
  • Undetermined vascular malformation

CPT Code 70549

IMG 2346

  • Carotid stenosis
  • TIA/stroke
  • Vascular tumor
  • Bruit
  • Cerebral vascular accident
  • Carotid body tumor

CPT Codes 70554 & 76377 (IMG 2390) – fMRI (Functional MRI w/ Tractography)

CPT Codes 70551 & 76377 (IMG 2649) – Volumetric Imaging (3T)

CPT Codes 70553 & 76377 (IMG 2387) – DTI Brain w/ Tractography

CPT Codes 70553 & 72156 (IMG 2360) – CSF Flow Study

CPT Code 76390 (IMG 2650) – Spectroscopy

Abdomen/Pelvis/Extremity MRI

CPT Code 74181

IMG 2563

See list of indications for MRI Abdomen w/ and w/o contrast

(Not typically performed without contrast; consult radiologist to discuss alternative imaging)

  • Patient with renal insufficiency
  • Patient pregnant

CPT Code 74183

IMG 2582

  • Adrenal lesion characterization IMG 2577
  • Renal lesion characterization IMG 2578
  • Hemochromatosis
  • Body wall mass
  • Liver/pancreas lesion characterization (Add 3D CPT Code 76376) IMG 2579 (NPO 4 HOURS)
    • Pancreatitis/cholangiocarcinoma
    • Dilatation of intrahepatic bile duct/biliary tree/Caroli’s disease/RUQ pain
    • Hepatocellular carcinoma /hepatitis/cirrhosis
    • Known or suspected liver/pancreatic lesion
  • MR enterography/enteroclysis – IMG 2583
    • Prep: NPO after midnight; a light diet of liquids is allowed for PM appointments and diabetic patients
    • Bowel wall ulcer/thickening/stenosis
    • Suspected or known Crohn’s disease

CPT Code 76391

IMG 851 CHG

CPT Codes 74181 & 72195

IMG 2677

See list of indications for MRI Abdomen & Pelvis w/ and w/o contrast

(Not typically performed without contrast; consult radiologist to discuss alternative imaging)

  • Patient with renal insufficiency or hemodialysis
  • Patient pregnant

CPT Codes 74183 & 72197

IMG 2679

  • Metastatic work up
  • Abdomen or pelvis neoplasm staging
  • MR enterography/enteroclysis with cancer for fistula IMG2678
  • MR urogram (evaluation of kidneys, ureters and bladder) IMG7758
    • Urinary tract dilation or urinary obstruction
    • Transitional cell carcinoma
    • Hematuria

CPT Code 72195

IMG 2428

  • Uterine anomaly/malformation (body pelvis)
  • Muscle/tendon tear/AVN (bony pelvis)
  • Pregnant appendicitis/RLQ pain (body pelvis)
  • Hip pain/fracture (bony pelvis)
  • Patient pregnant
  • Pubalgia/sports hernia (bony pelvis) Patient with renal insufficiency

CPT Code 72197

IMG 2438

  • Tumor/mass
  • Osteomyelitis/septic arthritis
  • Lumbosacral plexus mass/lesion/plexopathy

CPT Code 72197

IMG 2429

  • Prostate cancer (3T MRI)
    • Prep: Dulcolax suppository night before exam, light dinner night before exam, and only clear liquids day of exam
  • Endometriosis/endometrial cancer
  • Suspected pelvic mass
  • Fibroids
  • Scrotal/testicular/penile cancer
  • Pelvic floor relaxation
  • Bladder cancer/rectal cancer
  • Hernia (incisional, laparoscopic, ostomy, femoral or inguinal)
  • Urethral diverticulum/urethral cancer/ periurethral mass (with endovaginal coil)
    • (Patient should be informed, exam requires endovaginal coil to be inserted and remain for entire exam.)
  • Cervical cancer (Patient should be informed, exam requires KY to be inserted)

CPT Code 74185A

IMG 2586

See list of indications for MRA Abdomen w/ and w/o contrast

(Not typically performed without contrast; consult radiologist to discuss alternative imaging)

  • Abdominal aortic aneurysm
  • Patient pregnant
  • Patient with renal insufficiency or hemodialysis

CPT Code 74185C

IMG 2588

  • Pre stent graft evaluation
  • Renal donor evaluation (with MR Urogram)
  • Renal artery stenosis
  • Mesenteric ischemia
  • Post stent graft evaluation

CPT Code 72198

IMG 2447 (MRA)

IMG 8038 (MRV)

See list of indications for MRA/MRV Pelvis w/ and w/o contrast)

(Not typically performed without contrast; consult radiologist to discuss alternative imaging)

  • Patient with renal insufficiency
  • Patient pregnant

CPT Code 72198

IMG 2448 (MRA)

IMG 2449 (MRV)

  • Pelvic deep vein thrombosis
  • Pelvic deep vein thrombosis and varicose veins
    • (Add CPT Code 73725C MRA Lower Extremity w/ and w/o for MRA/MRV Thigh)
  • Leg swelling with suspected pelvic mass
    • (Add CPT Code 73725C MRA Lower Extremity w/ and w/o for MRA/MRV Thigh)

CPT Code 73225

IMG 2501 (Left)

IMG 2500 (Right)

  • Known or suspected vascular malformation
  • Assessment of upper extremity vessels

CPT Codes 74185A &73725A

IMG 2682

  • Peripheral vascular disease
  • Patient with renal insufficiency or hemodialysis
  • Claudication
  • Patient pregnant

CPT Codes 74185C & 73725C

IMG 2683

  • Peripheral vascular disease
  • Known or suspected vascular malformation (requires radiologist consultation)

CPT Code 73725C

IMG 2562 (Left)

IMG 2561 (Right)

  • Jaw or face reconstruction/free fibular flap graft
  • Popliteal entrapment

CPT Code 73725C

IMG 2558 (Left)

IMG 2557 (Right)

  • Jaw or face reconstruction/free fibular flap graft
  • Popliteal entrapment

Not all exams are available at all locations.

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