We aimed to investigate the solid-fluid behavior of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis using multifrequency MR elastography. Despite the success of stiffness-based assessment of hepatic fibrosis, little is known about tissue’s solid-fluid behavior upon fibrosis. Although cirrhosis is associated with liver stiffening and, intuitively, transition towards more rigid material properties, the observed increases in fluidity and slope of shear-wave-speed-dispersion indicate abnormally high mechanical friction in cirrhotic livers. This biophysical signature might provide a prognostic imaging marker for the detection of end-stage fibrosis independent of stiffness.
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