Magnetic Resonance Elastography

Overview

Elastograms of a normal liver (top) and a fibrotic liver (bottom), validated by biopsy.

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A state-of-the-art imaging technique, magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is helping Mayo Clinic physicians "feel" for abnormalities in internal organs. Magnetic resonance elastography was developed at Mayo Clinic and is used primarily to diagnose liver fibrosis by measuring liver stiffness. It combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with low-frequency sound waves to create a visual map, or elastogram, of the internal organ's elasticity.

Patients from around the world come to Mayo Clinic every day for accurate diagnosis and the highest-quality care. Mayo Clinic builds teams of expert physicians, nurses and other specialists to diagnose and treat medical conditions. The magnetic resonance elastography team at Mayo Clinic includes specialists in radiology and gastroenterology and hepatology.

Conditions Diagnosed with MRE

Mayo Clinic uses magnetic resonance elastography to detect liver fibrosis caused by many types of liver disease. Magnetic resonance elastography gives patients with liver disease a noninvasive alternative to liver biopsy, which is an invasive and potentially risky procedure. Early diagnosis of liver disease is essential for preventing disease progression and, eventually, liver failure. Magnetic resonance elastography can enable a safe, prompt and accurate diagnosis of liver fibrosis and help the physician proceed with the most appropriate treatment plan.

Future use of this state-of-the-art procedure may include imaging other internal organs, muscles and tissues. The Magnetic Resonance Lab at Mayo Clinic conducts extensive magnetic resonance elastography research for its potential use in breast cancer, brain injury, Alzheimer's disease and musculoskeletal disease.

How it Works

Change in tissue elasticity appears to be an important indicator of disease. Magnetic resonance elastography is an innovative imaging technique that employs standard MRI equipment along with a small vibrating pad that is placed over the abdomen when an individual is lying flat. The pad is set to vibrate at a specific frequency to generate mechanical waves that move into the liver. The waves move through stiff and supple tissue at different rates. After the examination, a computer program is used to create a color-coded map (or elastogram) of the liver, showing the stiffness in various areas of the organ. Stiffer areas are associated with more fibrosis.

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Advantages

A useful diagnostic imaging tool that offers many advantages, magnetic resonance elastography:

• Is noninvasive and eliminates the need for a painful and potentially risky biopsy.
• Can identify organ changes consistent with cirrhosis before these changes can be detected by physical exam.
• Shows greater sensitivity and accuracy for diagnosing liver fibrosis in patients with suspected chronic liver disease, compared to traditional imaging techniques.
• Reveals tissue properties and other information that conventional imaging techniques do not.
• Provides immediate results because the technique can be performed in just seconds.