ROCHESTER, Minn., Sept. 8 (UPI) -- A form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), called MR Elastography (MRE), can diagnose liver fibrosis in its early stages, say U.S. researchers.
If left unchecked, the condition can progress to cirrhosis, said researchers at the Mayo Clinic.
The technique was developed by a Mayo team led by Richard Ehman, and produces an image they called an elastogram.
Ehman said that conventional imaging procedures, such as CT and MRI scans or ultrasound, cannot identify the scarring of liver fibrosis prior to the onset of incurable cirrhosis.
MRE sends vibrations through the liver and uses a modified form of MRI to obtain pictures of the waves as they cross the organ. The process takes only 20 seconds. When processed, the wave pictures generate a quantitative image of tissue stiffness.
The researchers explained that healthy livers are very soft compared to most other tissues, especially cirrhotic livers that are almost rock hard. While cirrhosis cannot be reversed, liver fibrosis can be treated if it is detected in time. The problem can be caused by excess alcohol consumption, but is often a result of chronic hepatitis C. Previously, a series of liver biopsies were used to determine whether fibrosis had developed, but these are impractical in the developing countries where hepatitis C is most prevalent, particularly since there is no way to determine which hepatitis C patients will develop fibrosis. MRE is a reliable, non-invasive way to diagnose the problem and monitor the success of treatment.
The research can be found in the current issue of the journal Radiology.
