Claustrophobia in magnetic resonance imaging: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Munn, Z; Moola, S; Lisy, K; Riitano, D; Murphy, FJ

Abstract

Purpose

Anxiety and claustrophobia are common during MRI scanning. It has been estimated that 2 million scans worldwide cannot be performed annually either due to premature scan termination or refusal due to claustrophobia. The actual prevalence of claustrophobic reactions (defined here as scan terminations or refusals) reported in published studies varies significantly.

Materials and methods

A systematic search was performed to identify literature on this topic. Studies were included if they assessed adults undergoing MRI and reported on claustrophobic reactions. Data on the proportion of patients who suffered a claustrophobic reaction was extracted and combined in a meta-analysis where possible. Following the search, 18 studies were retrieved that met the inclusion criteria.

Results

There was significant clinical and statistical heterogeneity across the included studies, and data was only included in meta-analysis where there were comparable populations and scan. The pooled proportion for scan terminations due to claustrophobia equalled 1.18% (95% CI 0.79–1.65).

Conclusion

The results of this review show that claustrophobia is an issue when undergoing MRI, with approximately 1 out of 100 or 12 out of 1000 people scanned experiencing a claustrophobic reaction requiring premature termination of the scan. Health professionals working in MRI should be prepared to encounter claustrophobic patients.

Citation

Munn, Z., Moola, S., Lisy, K., Riitano, D., & Murphy, F. (2015). Claustrophobia in magnetic resonance imaging: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Radiography, 21(2), e59-e63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2014.12.004

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: Nov 4, 2016
• Journal: Radiography
• Print ISSN: 1078-8174
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Volume: 21
• Issue: 2
• Pages: e59-e63
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2014.12.004
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2014.12.004