July 28 (UPI) -- A new study finds that magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, scans can be a one-stop-shop way to accurately evaluate potential living liver donors.
Liver transplantation is the most effective treatment for most patients with end-stage liver disease and irreversible hepatic failure.
The study, published in the July edition of the American Journal of Roentgenology, analyzed the role of updated MRI-based techniques in evaluating the compatibility of living liver donors.
"Conventional evaluation methods, such as selective catheter digital subtraction anglography, ERCP, and liver biopsy, are not only time-consuming but also are invasive and have limitations," Dr. Kartik S. Jhaveri, of the Joint Department of Medical Imaging at the University of Toronto, said in a news release.
MRI scans do not contain ionizing radiation and the gadolinium-based contrast used are considered safe with few adverse reactions.
Recent advancements have been made in the imaging, helping the process overcome the time and spatial resolution limitations to be more effective at identifying potential liver donation candidates.
"Since the first adult-to-adult transplantation of a right liver lobe reported in 1994, the number of living-donor liver transplants has increased dramatically with good results," Jhaveri said. "Similar to those of cadaver liver transplantation. To guide safe harvesting of the graft from donors, an accurate preoperative evaluation of potential living liver donors for conditions that increase the donor's surgical risk is crucial."
