Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 7, 2026
Author Spotlight: A Non-Invasive Tool to Assess and Differentiate Fat Patterns in Liver Using 3D Dixon MRI
Published on: October 20, 2023
Liver histology and diffusion-weighted MRI in children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A MAGNET study
Paul Manning1, Paul Murphy1, Kang Wang1
1Liver Imaging Group, Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA.
Purpose:
To determine potential associations between histologic features of pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and estimated quantitative magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) parameters.
Materials And Methods:
This prospective, cross-sectional study was performed as part of the Magnetic Resonance Assessment Guiding NAFLD Evaluation and Treatment (MAGNET) ancillary study to the Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network (NASH CRN). Sixty-four children underwent a 3T DWI scan (b-values: 0, 100, and 500 s/mm2 ) within 180 days of a clinical liver biopsy of the right hepatic lobe. Three parameters were estimated in the right hepatic lobe: apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), diffusivity (D), and perfusion fraction (F); the first assuming exponential decay and the latter two assuming biexponential intravoxel incoherent motion. Grading and staging of liver histology were done using the NASH CRN scoring system. Associations between histologic scores and DWI-estimated parameters were tested using multivariate linear regression.
Results:
Estimated means ± standard deviations were: ADC: 1.3 (0.94-1.8) × 10-3 mm2 /s; D: 0.82 (0.56-1.0) × 10-3 mm2 /s; and F: 17 (6.0-28)%. Multivariate analyses showed ADC and D decreased with steatosis and F decreased with fibrosis (P < 0.05). Associations between DWI-estimated parameters and other histologic features were not significant: ADC: fibrosis (P = 0.12), lobular inflammation (P = 0.20), portal inflammation (P = 0.27), hepatocellular inflammation (P = 0.29), NASH (P = 0.30); D: fibrosis (P = 0.34), lobular inflammation (P = 0.84), portal inflammation (P = 0.76), hepatocellular inflammation (P = 0.38), NASH (P = 0.81); F: steatosis (P = 0.57), lobular inflammation (P = 0.22), portal inflammation (P = 0.42), hepatocellular inflammation (P = 0.59), NASH (P = 0.07).
Conclusion:
In children with NAFLD, steatosis and fibrosis have independent effects on DWI-estimated parameters ADC, D, and F. Further research is needed to determine the underlying mechanisms and clinical implications of these effects.
Level Of Evidence:
1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;46:1149-1158.
More Related Videos
08:41Novel In Vivo Micro-Computed Tomography Imaging Techniques for Assessing the Progression of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Published on: March 24, 2023
05:56Implementation of Non-invasive Point of Care Transient Elastography for Evaluation of Liver Disease in Pediatric Populations with Cystic Fibrosis
Published on: August 29, 2025
Related Concept Videos
01:25Ultrasound II: Endoscopic Ultrasound and FibroScan
Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS):
01:17Assessment of Diffusion and Perfusion
The Role of Diffusion in Respiration
Diffusion is the process by which molecules move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. In the respiratory system, this...
01:27Liver Histology
Hepatocytes perform a variety of essential functions. They secrete...
01:22Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test