title: Prediction of liver cirrhosis, using diagnostic imaging tools.
abstract: Early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis is important. Ultrasound-guided liver biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosis of liver cirrhosis. However, its invasiveness and sampling bias limit the applicability of the method. Basic imaging for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis has developed over the last few decades, enabling early detection of morphological changes of the liver by ultrasonography (US), computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They are also accurate diagnostic methods for advanced liver cirrhosis, for which early diagnosis is difficult. There are a number of ways to compensate for this difficulty, including texture analysis to more closely identify the homogeneity of hepatic parenchyma, elastography to measure the stiffness and elasticity of the liver, and perfusion studies to determine the blood flow volume, transit time, and velocity. Amongst these methods, elastography using US and MRI was found to be slightly easier, faster, and able to provide an accurate diagnosis. Early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis using MRI or US elastography is therefore a realistic alternative, but further research is still needed.
authors: Suk Keu Yeom, Sang Hoon Cha, Department of Radiology, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Gyeonggi-do 425-707, South Korea.
authors: Suk Keu
authors: SK
authors: Yeom
authors: Suk Keu Yeom, Sang Hoon Cha, Department of Radiology, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Gyeonggi-do 425-707, South Korea.
authors: Chang Hee
authors: CH
authors: Lee
authors: Suk Keu Yeom, Sang Hoon Cha, Department of Radiology, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Gyeonggi-do 425-707, South Korea.
authors: Sang Hoon
authors: SH
authors: Cha
authors: Suk Keu Yeom, Sang Hoon Cha, Department of Radiology, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Gyeonggi-do 425-707, South Korea.
authors: Cheol Min
authors: CM
authors: Park
keywords: Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging; Computed tomography; Liver fibrosis; Magnetic resonance elastography; Magnetic resonance imaging; Sonoelastography; Ultrasonography