ROCHESTER, Minn., Sept. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers have developed a technique for using magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, to accurately measure the hardness or elasticity of the liver.
The technology -- called MR Elastography -- would be used to detect liver fibrosis, a common condition that can lead to incurable cirrhosis if not treated in time. Traditionally, liver fibrosis is usually diagnosed using needle biopsies, which can involve complications and may be inaccurate due to sampling errors.
The new technology promises to provide an accurate, painless, and lower risk alternative to liver biopsy and may have implications for diagnosing cancer, according to the study published in the journal Radiology.
"This is potentially an important diagnostic advance, since conventional imaging techniques, such as CT, MRI and ultrasound are not capable of identifying liver fibrosis prior to the onset of cirrhosis," said study leader Dr. Richard Ehman, of the Mayo Clinic.
The healthy liver is very soft compared to most other tissues and especially compared to a liver with cirrhosis, which is rock hard. The new technology applies vibrations to the liver and then utilizes a modified form of MRI to obtain pictures of the mechanical waves passing through the organ, says Ehman.
