Trump's MRI Is Not Standard Preventive' Care, Say Experts

"Medical experts are questioning the White House's explanation for President Donald Trump's MRI tests as preventive. A Monday memo released by presidential physician Sean Barbabella described the results of a thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health as normal. This level of detailed assessment is standard for an executive physical at President Trump's age, Barbabella said. But imaging experts who spoke to Scientific American expressed doubts as to Barbabella's assertion that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) screening is typical preventive care."

"No, it is certainly not standard medical practice to perform screening MRIs of the heart and abdomen, says radiologist and MRI expert Thomas Kwee of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. Such imaging is typically only performed in the case of underlying disease, he says, or if there is suspicion of an underlying disease based on the patient's medical history and physical examination."

"Barbabella's memo said the imaging showed Trump was in excellent health. Kwee's comment echoed those of Medpage Today's editor in chief, physician Jeremy Faust, who told CNN on Monday that there's really no such thing as routine prevention using an MRI. Faust on Tuesday told Scientific American that the White House memo reference to advanced imaging left open questions as to exactly what tests Trump underwent. It could even possibly refer to a CT scan, for example, which is different than MRI."

Presidential physician Sean Barbabella released a memo describing a thorough evaluation of cardiovascular and abdominal health as normal. Barbabella characterized that level of detailed assessment as standard for an executive physical at the president's age. Imaging experts expressed doubts that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) screening constitutes typical preventive care. American Heart Association guidelines note that cardiac MRI is usually requested because of existing heart conditions and often only after other tests. Radiologist Thomas Kwee said screening MRIs of the heart and abdomen are not standard medical practice and are typically performed only when underlying disease is suspected. Uncertainty remains about which advanced imaging modality was used; a CT scan could have been performed instead of MRI.

Read at www.scientificamerican.com