President Donald Trump said he had an MRI scan during a recent visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
I did. I got an MRI. It was perfect, the president told reporters on board Air Force One on Monday on his way to a week-long trip in Asia.
Trump, who at age 79 is one of the oldest presidents in US history, did not say why he got the scan, which can be used to check for a wide range of issues.
The scan took place during Trump's visit to Walter Reed earlier this month, when his physician said he was in 'exceptional health'.
The doctor said [it] was some of the best reports, for the age, they've ever seen, Trump said Monday.
Asked why he received the MRI, which stands for magnetic resonance imaging, Trump told reporters to ask the doctors.
Presidential physician Dr Sean Barbabella said in a statement that Trump's appointment was a 'scheduled follow-up evaluation' and included advanced imaging, laboratory testing, and preventative health assessments.
The president 'continues to demonstrate excellent overall health', Dr. Barbabella stated.
MRI scans use strong magnetic fields to create an image of the inside of a patient's body and are especially useful for looking at soft tissues, according to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Earlier this year, the White House announced that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that can cause leg veins to fail in returning blood to the heart.
The condition is relatively common and benign in older individuals, as noted by Dr. Barbabella.
Trump has also been seen with makeup on his hands, described by the White House as bruising from frequent handshaking rather than the vein condition.
