title: Three-Tesla magnetic resonance elastography for hepatic fibrosis: comparison with diffusion-weighted imaging and gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the feasibility of 3-Tesla magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) for hepatic fibrosis and to compare that with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two patients were included in the study. On MRE, mean stiffness values were measured on the elastograms in kilopascals. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the liver was measured using DWI. On gadoxetic acid enhanced MR, the contrast enhancement index (CEI) was calculated as signal intensity (SI)post/SIpre, where SIpost is liver-to-muscle SI ratio on hepatobiliary phase images and SIpre is that on nonenhanced images. Correlation between aspartate aminotransferase to the platelet ratio index (APRI) and three MR parameters was assessed. Each MR parameter was compared between a hepatic fibrosis (HF) group and non-hepatic fibrosis (nHF) group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Liver stiffness showed strong positive correlation with APRI [Spearman correlation coeffiecient (r) = 0.773, P < 0.0001], while ADC and CEI showed weak or prominent negative correlation (r = -0.28 and -0.321, respectively). In the HF group, only liver stiffness showed strong correlation with APRI (r = 0.731, P < 0.0001). Liver stiffness, ADC, and APRI were significantly different between the HF group and nHF group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MRE at 3-Tesla could be a feasible method for the assessment of hepatic fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Hee Sun Park, Young Jun Kim, Mi Hye Yu, Sung Il Jung, Hae Jeong Jeon, Department of Radiology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 143-729, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Hee Sun Park, Young Jun Kim, Mi Hye Yu, Sung Il Jung, Hae Jeong Jeon, Department of Radiology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 143-729, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Hee Sun Park, Young Jun Kim, Mi Hye Yu, Sung Il Jung, Hae Jeong Jeon, Department of Radiology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 143-729, South Korea.
authors.forename: Mi Hye
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Hee Sun Park, Young Jun Kim, Mi Hye Yu, Sung Il Jung, Hae Jeong Jeon, Department of Radiology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 143-729, South Korea.
authors.forename: Won Hyeok
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Choe
authors.affiliation: Hee Sun Park, Young Jun Kim, Mi Hye Yu, Sung Il Jung, Hae Jeong Jeon, Department of Radiology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 143-729, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Il
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Hee Sun Park, Young Jun Kim, Mi Hye Yu, Sung Il Jung, Hae Jeong Jeon, Department of Radiology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 143-729, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hae Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jeon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; C073590:gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA
keywords: Diffusion weighted imaging; Gadoxetic acid enhanced magnetic resonance imaging; Hepatic fibrosis; Magnetic resonance elastography; Serum markers