MRI VS MRA? Why a difference?

So that they can charge you (or the insurance company) again. 😂 No, but seriously, the only difference is that the MRA takes more detailed images of the blood vessels than the organs or tissue surrounding them. Neuroradiologists may perform MRA and MRI together as complementary examinations to obtain a more complete picture of what's going on.

I just wish it were default. I have been getting headaches and eye pain. MRI didn't show anything wrong. Thinking I should have asked for MRA instead.

I could be wrong of course, but it seems to me that the distinguishing feature of these two studies is also the fact that during MRA a contrasting substance is injected in order to make the images of blood vessels better and clearer.
MRA is a method to study blood vessels (arteries, veins), which allows identifying the place of narrowing or vice versa of pathological vessel dilation, the presence of thrombus, and the source and degree of spread. It can also be used to detect diseases that cannot be detected in any other way. MRA is performed by injecting a contrast agent into a blood vessel and a fluoroscopic examination.

I have since had MRI and MRA.  Neither required an injection of dyes. They say MRA was identical to that from 5 years ago. MRI showed similar features to trigeminal neuralgia, but I don't have enough of the symptoms to get that diagnosis. I am convinced my pain is related to head/neck injury. I got an xray for that a year ago. MRI tech suggested that they should of ordered a CT scan for my neck instead of an xray. I truly wish there was just one good machine that did it all.