Understanding Your MRI Results

After your MRI scan, a specialist doctor called a radiologist analyses your images and produces a detailed report. If you've just received yours and the medical terminology feels impenetrable, you're not alone. This guide helps you make sense of your MRI results, explains common findings in plain language, and tells you what to do next.

How Your MRI Results Are Produced

Your scan generates hundreds — sometimes thousands — of individual images, capturing your anatomy in remarkable detail. A consultant radiologist (a doctor who specialises in interpreting medical images, with a minimum of 13 years' training) reviews every image systematically, looking for abnormalities, incidental findings, and normal variants.

The radiologist then writes a formal report, which typically includes four sections:

• Clinical information — A summary of why the scan was requested and what symptoms or conditions are being investigated.
• Technique — The scanner type and strength (e.g., 1.5T or 3T), sequences performed (e.g., T1, T2, FLAIR, DWI), and whether contrast was given.
• Findings — A detailed description of what the radiologist observed, organised by anatomical structure. This is the longest section and contains the most medical terminology.
• Conclusion/Impression — The most important section for you. It summarises the key findings, their clinical significance, and any recommendations for further investigation or follow-up.

With Lola Health's private MRI service, your report is typically ready within 7 working days and sent directly to you. If urgent findings are identified, they are flagged and communicated more quickly.

Common MRI Findings Explained

Normal Results

Many scans return completely normal results. The report may say "no significant abnormality detected," "appearances are within normal limits," or simply "unremarkable study." This means nothing concerning was found.

Incidental Findings

MRI is so detailed that radiologists often spot things unrelated to the reason for your scan. These are called incidental findings and are usually benign:

• Small cysts — Fluid-filled sacs that are almost always harmless. Common locations include the brain (arachnoid cysts, pineal cysts — found in up to 10% of people), kidneys (simple renal cysts — found in roughly 25% of adults over 50), liver, and ovaries.
• Benign growths — Non-cancerous growths such as haemangiomas (liver — found in up to 5% of adults), lipomas (fatty lumps), or meningiomas (brain coverings). Most need monitoring, not treatment.
• Degenerative changes — Age-related wear and tear, especially in the spine and joints. Extremely common in adults over 30 and frequently present in people with zero symptoms. A landmark study (Brinjikji et al., AJNR 2015) found that 37% of 20-year-olds and 96% of 80-year-olds had disc degeneration on MRI — without any back pain.
• Anatomical variants — Normal variations in anatomy that differ from the textbook but cause no problems. These are common and unimportant.

Spine Findings

• Disc bulge — The disc extends slightly beyond its normal boundary. Very common, often present without symptoms. Found in up to 52% of people with no back pain (same Brinjikji study).
• Disc protrusion/herniation — Part of the disc pushes further outward. May or may not cause symptoms — it depends entirely on whether it presses on a nerve.
• Disc desiccation — Loss of water content in the disc (appears dark on T2 images). A normal part of ageing — think of it as the disc equivalent of grey hair.
• Spinal stenosis — Narrowing of the spinal canal or nerve exit holes (foramina). Can cause pain, numbness, or weakness if it compresses the spinal cord or nerve roots. Severity is usually graded as mild, moderate, or severe.
• Modic changes — Changes in the vertebral endplates adjacent to a disc. Classified as Type 1 (inflammatory), Type 2 (fatty), or Type 3 (sclerotic). Type 1 can be associated with back pain; Type 2 and 3 are usually incidental.

Joint Findings

• Meniscal tear (knee) — Graded by signal: Grade 1 (internal degeneration, not a true tear), Grade 2 (signal reaching one surface), Grade 3 (signal reaching the articular surface — a definite tear). Only Grade 3 is a true tear visible arthroscopically.
• Ligament injuries — Described as intact, partial tear (some fibres disrupted), or complete tear (full-thickness rupture). Common examples include ACL tears (knee) and rotator cuff tears (shoulder).
• Effusion — Excess fluid within a joint, indicating inflammation, injury, or arthritis.
• Bone marrow oedema — Swelling within the bone marrow. Can indicate a stress reaction, bone bruise (contusion), early arthritis, or occasionally infection. Usually described as "bone marrow signal change" or "subchondral oedema."
• Chondral defect — Damage to the articular cartilage coating the bone surface. Graded from I (softening) to IV (full-thickness loss exposing bone).

Brain Findings

• White matter hyperintensities — Small bright spots on T2/FLAIR sequences. These are extremely common, increasing with age. They can be related to migraine, high blood pressure (small vessel disease), or simply normal ageing. When scattered and non-specific, they're usually described as "age-appropriate" or "non-specific."
• Brain atrophy — Some loss of brain volume is normal with age. The radiologist will comment if it appears disproportionate to your age or if it follows a pattern suggestive of a specific condition (e.g., hippocampal atrophy in Alzheimer's).
• Masses or lesions — Any abnormal tissue is characterised by the radiologist using its signal characteristics, location, and enhancement pattern to suggest what it might be and whether biopsy or further imaging is needed.

Understanding Common Terminology

Term on Your Report	What It Actually Means
Hyperintense / high signal	Appears brighter than surrounding tissue
Hypointense / low signal	Appears darker than surrounding tissue
Enhancement	The area lights up after contrast injection, suggesting increased blood flow or abnormal tissue
Oedema	Swelling or excess fluid in tissue
Effusion	Excess fluid in a joint or body cavity
Unremarkable	Normal — nothing abnormal found in this area
Incidental	Found unexpectedly, not related to the reason for the scan
Benign	Non-cancerous
Indeterminate	Can't be sure what it is from this scan alone — needs further investigation
Follow-up recommended	Another scan or test is suggested, usually to see if a finding changes over time
Artefact	An image distortion caused by movement, metal, or scanner limitations — not a real finding

For a full glossary of MRI terms, see our MRI scan glossary.

What to Do After Receiving Your Results

1. Read the conclusion/impression first — Skip to the bottom of the report. This is the summary written specifically to communicate the key findings clearly. The detailed findings section is important for your doctor but can be confusing if you don't know the anatomy.
2. Don't panic about technical language — Many findings described in complex terminology are normal or benign. "Mild degenerative changes in the lumbar spine" sounds alarming but is present in the majority of adults over 30.
3. Discuss with your GP or specialist — Your doctor can explain the findings in the context of your symptoms, medical history, and overall health. A disc bulge on MRI, for example, is only significant if it correlates with your clinical picture.
4. Follow through on recommendations — If the report recommends further imaging, blood tests, or specialist referral, act on these. They're there for a reason.
5. Keep your report and images — Store them for future comparison. Comparing scans over time is one of the most valuable things radiologists can do — it shows whether findings are stable, improving, or progressing.

For more detail on decoding individual sections of your report, see our guide on how to read your MRI report.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get MRI results?

With Lola Health's private service, results are typically available within 7 working days. If an urgent or unexpected finding is identified, the radiologist will flag it for faster communication. NHS timelines vary — 1-2 weeks is common for routine scans, but it can be longer.

What if my MRI shows something abnormal?

An abnormal finding doesn't necessarily mean something serious. Many MRI abnormalities are benign, age-related, or incidental. The radiologist will indicate the significance of any findings and recommend next steps — which may be as simple as "no action required" or "repeat scan in 12 months."

Can I get a second opinion on my MRI results?

Yes. You're entitled to seek a second radiologist's opinion. With a private MRI through Lola Health, you have access to your images, which can be shared with another specialist. Second opinions are particularly worthwhile for complex or ambiguous findings.

Should I be worried about incidental findings?

Most incidental findings are benign and need no treatment. They're simply things that happen to be visible on the detailed MRI images. The radiologist will clearly state if any incidental finding needs follow-up. Anxiety about incidental findings is one of the trade-offs of having very detailed imaging — but knowledge is generally better than ignorance.

Why does my MRI report mention things I don't have symptoms of?

Because MRI shows anatomy in extraordinary detail, the radiologist reports everything they see — not just what relates to your symptoms. This is good practice: it creates a baseline record and ensures nothing is overlooked. Many of these additional findings are normal variants or age-related changes with no clinical significance.