Liver Magnetic Resonance Elastography: Clinical Use and Interpretation

The liver is the largest abdominal organ, which is, in case of diseases, often affected by the accumulation of extracellular matrix leading to significant tissue stiffening. This favors the application of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) as imaging marker for staging fibrosis and determining the overall state of health of the liver. MRE is meanwhile considered the gold standard technique of elastography of the liver as it permits full three-dimensional analysis of mechanical wave fields. Beyond liver fibrosis, further applications of MRE in the liver comprise fat quantification, assessment of inflammation, tumor characterization, and detection of portal hypertension. This chapter reviews the current state-of-the-art technology of MRE in the liver and discusses technical challenges and clinical applications.