Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a non-invasive medical imaging technique.
MRE measures the mechanical properties, i.e. stiffness of soft tissues by introducing shear waves and imaging their propagation using MRI.
Pathological tissues are often stiffer than the surrounding normal tissue.
Malignant breast tumors are much harder than healthy fibro-glandular tissue.
MRE calculates the mechanical parameter as elicited by palpation, in a non-invasive and objective way.
Works by using an additional gradient waveform in the pulse sequence to sensitize the MRI scan to shear waves in the tissue.
Pathological tissues are often stiffer than the surrounding normal tissue, and this characteristic is used for screening and diagnosis of many diseases, through palpation.
The shear waves are generated by an electro-mechanical transducer on the surface of the skin.
An algorithm can be used to extract a quantitative measure of tissue stiffness from the MRI in an elastogram.
Currently used for the assessment of hepatic fibrosis.
The shear waves are generated by an electro-mechanical transducer on the surface of the skin.
The process encodes the amplitude of the shear wave in the tissue in the phase of the MRI image.
An algorithm can be used to extract a quantitative measure of tissue stiffness from the MRI in an elastogram.
It is currently being clinically used for the assessment of hepatic fibrosis.
Imaging process that allows assessment of tissue stiffness.
Used to assess the liver’s stiffness as a marker for liver fibrosis.
Allows for the early detection of liver fibrosis before clinical changes of cirrhosis.
Non invasive technique for evaluating tissue stiffness.
Correlates well with histologic findings and the degree of fibrosis.
Pathological tissues are often stiffer than the surrounding normal tissue, and this characteristic is used for screening and diagnosis of many diseases, through palpation.
Works by using an additional gradient waveform in the pulse sequence to sensitize the MRI scan to shear waves in the tissue.
The shear waves are generated by an electro-mechanical transducer on the surface of the skin.
An algorithm can be used to extract a quantitative measure of tissue stiffness from the MRI in an elastogram.
Currently used for the assessment of hepatic fibrosis.
Can detect early liver inflammation and stage 0-1 fibrosis years before patients develop more severe findings of fibrosis and disease detectable by other imaging techniques.
Utilizes low frequency sound waves that causes small vibrations in liver tissue detected through sensitive phase contrast MRI.
With progressive liver disease wavelengths of the induced pressure waves become longer and can be measured providing estimates of liver tissue stiffness, reported in kilopascals (kPa), units of elasticity.
Normal liver stiffness associated with a mean of 2.2 kPa.
Patients with stage 0-1 liver fibrosis have stiffness measurement of 3.5-4.0 kPa.
Can differentiate between advanced stages with high specificity and sensitivity.
Can help guide therapy and allows assessment of treatment for liver diseases.