Advances in CT & MR functional imaging for somatic diseases

Medical imaging is evolving from the traditional morphologic examination to a pattern that combines morphologic and functional examinations that can reflect physiochemical changes at cellular and molecular levels. Functional imaging techniques, including CT perfusion imaging, MR diffusion weighted imaging, MR perfusion imaging and MR spectroscopy, have been drawing increasingly more attention in pathological study of the livers, pancreas, kidneys, prostates and lymph nodes, and the prospect is promising. CT MR functional imaging combined with morphologic examination is helpful for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of pathological lesions.