MR elastography is now available for clinical use. This technique is based on the fact that diseased liver tissue has different stiffness than healthy tissue (paper published in Science in 1995 by Ehman et al). MR elastography thumps the liver at the end of a routine MR exam with mechanical vibrations that compress the organ, changing the MR signal to indicate the elasticity of tissue. Stiff tissue shows up as red on the MR images. Soft, healthy tissue appears purple. More information can be found at http://www.diagnosticimaging.com/mri/content/article/113619/1549667
Maribel Adame, PhD
