Title: MRI Characterisation of Focal Liver Lesions- A Tertiary Care Centre Study

Authors: Ajitha.J S, Preetha S, Devarajan E

 DOI:  https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i7.205

Abstract

Back ground: The role of MRI is more rewarding as it is known that MRI details of soft tissue is superior than CT or any other imaging modalities and this quality is utilized in the evaluation of focal liver lesions, apart from the otheradvantages of MRI like, less risk of radiation, safe in renal disease, and being non invasive in the delineation of hepatic segmental anatomy and vascular anatomy and biliary anatomy and the sensitivity in detecting small lesions and the extent of lesions. Equivocal characteristics in an USS/CECT are better delineated by MRI. It also has a wide range of contrast enhancement than other technique and the diagnostic accuracy has increased by contrast enhanced MRI. The  tumor vascularity and its enhancement pattern is improved by Fast Breath Holding Sequences  using Gadolinium which is not possible on CT or USS.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted in the dept. of Radiodiagnosis, MCH, during the period of 2013 to 2016 on patients undergoing MR imaging of liver for characterisation of liver lesions.

Results: MRI has specific enhancement pattern for each focal liver lesions by which the focal lesions are characterized more accurately. The diagnostic accuracy of  the MRI characterization of focal lesions in our study were confirmed histopathologically or by FNA except  vascular lesions.

Conclusion: The value of contrast enhanced MRI in the evaluation of focal hepatic neoplasm is proved in this study. It is safe, lacks ionizing radiation and is highly sensitive and specific. Characterisation of focal liver lesion is very limited in ultrasound, which is the most commonly employed as a screening  modality, mainly for lesion detection in the majority of cases.

Keywords:  MRI, CT, focal liver lesions.

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Corresponding Author

Preetha S

Associate Professor, Dept of General Surgery, Govt Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram,

Kerala, India 695011

Email: arulakam69@gmailcom