BB and Pellets (including shotgun pellets)

Safety:  Conditional

Risks:  Thermal, Displacement

Conditions:

• BBs and pellets, including shotgun pellets, are typically ferromagnetic, and considered unsafe if located within 5mm of a solid organ or a 3rd order or more proximal arterial/venous branch of the aorta/IVC
• Take precautions to limit and monitor for symptoms of thermal injury

Comments:

• Embedded metallic foreign bodies, especially if in place for a long period of time, may be anchored in place by scar tissue. Use clinical judgment in assessing the potential risks and benefits of undergoing MRI

Bottom line: MRI permissible on a case-by-case basis as determined by a radiologist