Progress on the role of magnetic resonance imaging techniques in the staged diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis

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BAO Yuanyuan PAN Yiqi MAI Xiaoli

Cite this article as: BAO Y Y, PAN Y Q, MAI X L. Progress on the role of magnetic resonance imaging techniques in the staged diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2025, 16(3): 196-200. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.03.033.

Abstract

[Abstract] Hepatic fibrosis (HF) is a reparative response of hepatocytes to chronic tissue injury and represents a critical stage in the progression of various liver diseases toward cirrhosis. Early HF is a reversible pathophysiological process, and timely, accurate diagnosis is essential for effective treatment and improved prognosis. Due to the limitations of liver biopsy in current detection methods and the inability to perform continuous examination, magnetic resonance imaging technology, as a non-invasive technique, plays an increasingly important role in the diagnosis of HF. This paper reviews the new applications of conventional diagnostic techniques such as magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques based on spin-lock phase, and blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional MRI in the diagnosis of HF. It aims to provide a reference for future efforts to improve the early diagnostic capabilities of HF by combining multiple sequences and leveraging their respective advantages, and to offer more precise imaging support for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of HF.

[Keywords] liver fibrosis；cirrhosis；hepatic iron deposition；magnetic resonance imaging；staged diagnosis

Contributor Information

BAO Yuanyuan¹ PAN Yiqi² MAI Xiaoli^{1,
2*}

¹ Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210008, China

² Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China

Corresponding author: MAI X L, E-mail: maixl@nju.edu.cn

Conflicts of interest None.

Publication Information

Received 2024-12-12

Accepted 2025-03-07

DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.03.033

Text

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