ABSTRACT
In the past few decades, with the development of new hardware and software which lead to the acquisition of faster sequences, magnetic resonance (MR) overcomes the main problem in the study of the liver which is the motion artifacts. Moreover, the better contrast resolution compared to computed tomography (CT) results in the characterization of different components (i.e., fat, water, and
blood) within the same parenchyma. However in most cases, these features are not enough to correctly detect and characterize liver diseases [1]. It is important to use appropriate technical equipment to obtain good image quality. MR liver examination should be performed with a high eld magnet (≥1.5 T) with fast gradients; a phasearray surface body coil increases the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) providing a better spatial resolution, and the parallel imaging reduces the scan time acquisition [2-4]. The introduction of gadolinium-based contrast agents has
also improved the diagnostic accuracy of MR since it has similar values to that of CT. Moreover, the introduction in clinical practice of liver-specic contrast agents has provided functional information in adjunction to morphological appearance. New MR techniques have also been developed such as diffusion, perfusion, spectroscopy, and elastography that are now assuming an increasing role in clinical practice.
