title: Consensus report from the 7th International Forum for Liver Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Liver-specific MRI is a fast-growing field, with technological and protocol advancements providing more robust imaging and allowing a greater depth of information per examination. This article reports the evidence for, and expert thinking on, current challenges in liver-specific MRI, as discussed at the 7th International Forum for Liver MRI, which was held in Shanghai, China, in October 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  Topics discussed included the role of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI in the differentiation of focal nodular hyperplasia from hepatocellular adenoma and small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from small intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (in patients with chronic liver disease), the differentiation of low-grade dysplastic nodule (DN) from pre-malignant high-grade DN and early HCC, and treatment planning and assessment of treatment response for patients with HCC and colorectal liver metastasis. Optimization of the gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI protocol to gain robust arterial and hepatobiliary phase images was also discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI demonstrates added value for the detection and characterization of focal liver lesions and shows promise in a number of new indications, including regional liver functional assessment and patient monitoring after therapy; however, more data are needed in some areas, and further developments are needed to translate cutting-edge techniques into clinical practice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Liver-specific MRI is a fast-growing field, with many technological and protocol advancements. Gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI demonstrates value for detecting and characterizing focal liver lesions. Gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI shows promise in regional functional assessment and patient monitoring. Further developments are needed to translate cutting-edge techniques into clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland. elmar.merkle@usb.ch.
authors.forename: Elmar M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Merkle
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Petersgraben 4, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christoph J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Zech
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bartolozzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Mustafa R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bashir
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Pediatric Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ba-Ssalamah
authors.affiliation: Imaging Science Institute Charité, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huppertz
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Otto-von-Guericke Universität Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ricke
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Michiie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Liver Imaging Group, Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, California, USA.
authors.forename: Claude B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Sirlin
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatic Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Sheng-Long
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Radiologic Diagnostic Department, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Mengsu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D018248:Adenoma, Liver Cell / Q000175:diagnosis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D020518:Focal Nodular Hyperplasia / Q000175:diagnosis; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; C073590:gadolinium ethoxybenzyl DTPA; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA
keywords: Gadoxetic acid; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Liver function tests; Liver neoplasms; Magnetic resonance imaging