MR Imaging of the Liver

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MR imaging techniques and concepts

One of the major challenges of MR imaging in the abdomen has centered on the problem of acquiring data from tissue that has high spatial displacement low-frequency movement, mostly caused by respiratory-dependent movement of the diaphragm. MR imaging of the liver initially relied on standard spin echo T1- and T2-weighted methods, representing sequences that acquire data over a long time window relative to respiratory movement [5], [6], [7]. This requires supplemental techniques of respiratory

Liver tumor detection and characterization

Table 1 summarizes a pattern recognition approach to liver tumors, applying concepts described previously. Various comparisons of contrast-enhanced CT and MR imaging have been performed showing that MR imaging has significantly better capacity to characterize liver lesions. A study of 89 patients with liver lesions, confirmed by surgical assessment, percutaneous biopsy, or long-term follow-up, showed that more lesions could be detected on MR imaging in 49% of patients, and that in 25% of these

MR imaging of diffuse liver diseases

It is the objective of all cross-sectional imaging techniques to have the ability to evaluate the anatomic configuration of normal and abnormal tissues. In addition, it has become increasingly evident that MR imaging can demonstrate normal and pathologic processes that represent tissue cellular and intracellular architecture, and intracellular processes. Using intravenously injected contrast agent can further provide information regarding the vessels perfusing normal and abnormal tissues, in

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