Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 28, 2023; 29(28): 4384-4396
Published online Jul 28, 2023. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i28.4384
Advances in application of novel magnetic resonance imaging technologies in liver disease diagnosis
Yi-Ming Qi, En-Hua Xiao
Yi-Ming Qi, En-Hua Xiao, Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410000, Hunan Province, China
Author contributions: Xiao EH was responsible for the review concept and design; Qi YM drafted the manuscript; Xiao EH provided critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content; and all authors critically reviewed the content and approved the final version for publication.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81571784; the Provincial Natural Science Foundation of Hunan, No. 2022JJ70142; and the Clinical Research Center for Medical Imaging in Hunan Province, 2020SK4001.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: En-Hua Xiao, PhD, Professor, Teacher, Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, No. 139 Renmin Middle Road, Furong District, Changsha 410000, Hunan Province, China. xiaoenhua64@csu.edu.cn
Received: June 1, 2023
Peer-review started: June 1, 2023
First decision: June 20, 2023
Revised: July 3, 2023
Accepted: July 7, 2023
Article in press: July 7, 2023
Published online: July 28, 2023
Abstract

Liver disease is a major health concern globally, with high morbidity and mor-tality rates. Precise diagnosis and assessment are vital for guiding treatment approaches, predicting outcomes, and improving patient prognosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive diagnostic technique that has been widely used for detecting liver disease. Recent advancements in MRI technology, such as diffusion weighted imaging, intravoxel incoherent motion, magnetic resonance elastography, chemical exchange saturation transfer, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, hyperpolarized MR, contrast-enhanced MRI, and ra-diomics, have significantly improved the accuracy and effectiveness of liver disease diagnosis. This review aims to discuss the progress in new MRI technologies for liver diagnosis. By summarizing current research findings, we aim to provide a comprehensive reference for researchers and clinicians to optimize the use of MRI in liver disease diagnosis and improve patient prognosis.

Keywords: Diagnostic imaging, Liver diseases, Fatty liver, Liver fibrosis, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Magnetic resonance imaging

Core Tip: Accurate evaluation of liver disease is essential for effective treatment strategies and better patient prognosis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a non-invasive diagnostic tool, has become a necessary technique for detecting liver diseases. The advancements in various magnetic resonance techniques have significantly enriched the diagnostic methods for liver diseases, each with a different focus and expertise in examining the liver. This article reviews the principles, advantages, limitations, and clinical applications of these new technologies in the diagnosis of liver disease, providing necessary references for researchers and clinical physicians to enhance the application of MRI in liver disease diagnosis and improve patient prognosis.