MR Elastography of the Liver (MRE) is a non-invasive (no surgery required) medical imaging device that helps determine the stiffness of organs and other structures in your body.
Liver fibrosis is an excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins, including collagen, which occurs in most chronic liver diseases. Advanced liver fibrosis results in cirrhosis, liver failure and portal hypertension, for which liver transplantation may be the only treatment option. Diagnosis has traditionally required a liver biopsy and it has been recognized that accurate, less invasive methods are needed to detect and follow chronic liver disease. These challenges have led to increased interest in MR Elastography as a clinical and research tool.
Clinical applications
- New approach for better decisions, especially in liver fibrosis
- Non-invasive assessment of variations in tissue stiffness
Features
- iPAT provides shortened breath-hold time
- Fully integrated processing of the elastogram in the scanner
- Fully automatic calculation of wave images and associated elastograms
- Statistical confidence map for reliability