MR Elastography of Liver Transplant Patients using Parallel Imaging Techniques

Dieter Klatt¹, Patrick Asbach¹, Carsten Kamphues², Sebastian Hirsch¹, Sebastian Papazoglou¹, Jrgen Braun³, Ingolf Sack¹

In single shot MR elastography (MRE) a short transient mechanical excitation burst is sufficient for the acquisition of an entire wave image. Single shot MRE of the liver, however, suffers from susceptibility artifacts and low SNR due to fast signal relaxation. Therefore, parallel imaging is combined with single shot MRE which improves image quality and resolution compared to previously used single-shot techniques. The new method was used to assess fibrosis in liver transplant patients. Hepatic fibrosis was diagnosed in four patients. MRE has the potential to replace biopsy for the monitoring of fibrotic changes within liver grafts.