The effect of the MR imaging to tattoo or permanent makeup.

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K19820
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Radiation science
• Research Institution: Jikei University School of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Tomita Shoichi 東京慈恵会医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (40529715)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 刺青 / アートメイク / MRI検査 / 熱傷

Outline of Final Research Achievements

There is concern that tattooed skin is at risk of being burned by MRI. However, a detailed evaluation of the impact of MRI on medically tattooed skin has not been performed. The study aimed to clarify the changes in common inorganic tattoo pigments during MRI in an animal model.
Tattooed hairless mice with eight typical pigments for tattoos were evaluated for changes in temperature, color tone, and histology of the tattoos during a 9.4-T MRI.
None of specimens had signs of burns. In terms of temperature changes, the black iron oxide and carbon black specimens had a maximum temperature increase of 0.4 degrees. In the Munsell color system, no specific color changes were observed before or after the MRI. Color changes evaluated as the ΔE00 in the L*a*b* color space were all lower than 3.0 and thus regarded as being indistinguishable and within the color unevenness of the tattoo. Histologic analysis of the specimens showed no significant changes before and after the MRIs.

Free Research Field

形成外科