Read Your Scan

T2-weighted

Read Your Scan Editorial Team·Last updated

Written from published radiology references and reviewed for plain language. Not written or signed by a physician, and not a diagnosis. How we write these pages

In plain language

An MRI setting in which water and fluid glow bright. Because injury, inflammation and swelling all mean extra water, T2 is the sequence where problems tend to announce themselves.

Where you’ll see this

The technique section of any MRI report, and beside findings described as "T2 hyperintense".

Your report may word it T2, T2W or T2-weighted images. These mean the same thing.

Questions worth asking your doctor

  • Did this scan use the right technique to answer my question?
  • Would contrast, or a different sequence, show something this one could not?
  • Do I need another scan, or is this one enough?

How the scan was taken

Where this word comes up

See this word on your own scan

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Read Your Scan is informational only — not a medical diagnosis, and not a substitute for a licensed radiologist or your doctor. If you have urgent symptoms, seek care.