Examine a patient’s face mask prior to scanning as nose clips, headband staples, or other components can contain metal, potentially leading to facial burns during MRI scans.
When imaging a patient in an MRI during the COVID-19 pandemic, be sure he or she wears a face mask – but, also check to ensure their mask contains no metal or metal particles, warns the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
In a safety communication issued Monday, the FDA alerted the imaging community that facial burns are possible in patients who wear metal-containing masks inside the MRI scanner. This advisory was prompted by a report to the agency of a patient experiencing burns consistent with the shape of a facial mask during a scan of the neck in a 3T MRI scanner.
Currently, facial masks are recommended to slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but those masks frequently contain metal nose clips or wires, as well as nanoparticles or antimicrobial particles that are coated with metal, typically silver or copper. Any metal content can get hot enough to burn a patient during an MRI.
Related Content: Keep an Eye Out for Magnetic Eyelashes
Patients are still advised to wear a mask during an MRI study, but to avoid these problems, the FDA recommended healthcare providers should screen all patients, checking and confirming that his or her face mask contains no metal before beginning the exam. If it is not possible to unequivocally determine that a mask contains no metal, patients should be given an alternative, non-metal containing mask.
Any confirmed or suspected burn event should be reported to the FDA, agency officials said, in an on-going attempt to improve MRI-related patient safety. Submit reports vis the FDA MedWatch Voluntary Reporting Form For questions, email the Division of Industry and Consumer Education at DICE@FDA.HHS.GOV or call 800-638-2041.
For more coverage based on industry expert insights and research, subscribe to the Diagnostic Imaging e-Newsletter here.
Stay at the forefront of radiology with the Diagnostic Imaging newsletter, delivering the latest news, clinical insights, and imaging advancements for today’s radiologists.
Large Medicare Study Shows Black Men Less Likely to Receive PET and MRI for Prostate Cancer Imaging
August 3rd 2025An analysis of over 749,000 Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with prostate cancer over a five-year period found that Black men were 13 percent less likely to receive PET imaging and 16 percent less likely to receive MRI in comparison to White men.
The Reading Room Podcast: Current and Emerging Insights on Abbreviated Breast MRI, Part 3
August 3rd 2025In the last of a three-part podcast episode, Stamatia Destounis, MD, Emily Conant, MD and Habib Rahbar, MD, share additional insights on practical considerations and potential challenges in integrating abbreviated breast MRI into clinical practice, and offer their thoughts on future research directions.
The Reading Room Podcast: A Closer Look at Remote MRI Safety, Part 3
August 3rd 2025In the third of a three-part podcast episode, Emanuel Kanal, M.D. and Tobias Gilk, MRSO, MRSE, discuss strategies for maintaining the integrity of time-out procedures and communication with remote MRI scanning.
Study Reveals Significant Prevalence of Abnormal PET/MRI and Dual-Energy CT Findings with Long Covid
August 3rd 2025In a prospective study involving nearly 100 patients with Long Covid, 57 percent of patients had PET/MRI abnormalities and 90 percent of the cohort had abnormalities on dual-energy CT scans.