MR imaging of diffuse liver disease: from technique to diagnosis

Over the past decade the role of MR imaging in the evaluation of diffuse liver disease has become common practice. Although detection of focal liver lesions remains the mainstay of liver imaging, a growing cohort of patients are referred for evaluation of hepatosteatosis, iron deposition diseases, and cirrhosis. In particular, multiecho sequences are becoming the gold standard for quantification of fat and iron. MR elastography allows for improved early detection of hepatic fibrosis. Unfortunately, a majority of the diffuse liver diseases lack specific features on MR imaging, yet a solid understanding of the different pathologic processes allows an informed interpretation.