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Why is a cirrhotic liver a sign of disease? How can magnetic resonance elastography reveal hidden health problems?
With the advancement of science and technology, the field of medical imaging is constantly innovating. Among them, magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), as a non-invasive technology, is changing the way traditional medicine diagnoses diseases such as liver cirrhosis. Not only can it help doctors more accurately assess the health of the liver, it can also reveal potential health problems so patients can receive timely treatment.
Magnetic resonance elastography, with its unique approach, helps researchers quantify and map the mechanical properties of soft tissue, making it a powerful diagnostic tool.
MRE technology background
Magnetic resonance elastography was first developed at the Mayo Clinic in 1995. This technology mainly uses MRI to measure the elasticity or stiffness of soft tissues. Because diseased tissue, such as breast tumors, is often stiffer than surrounding normal tissue, it is particularly important to assess tissue stiffness. This principle also continues the tradition of palpation, but palpation is limited to surface organs and is limited by subjectivity and relies on the doctor's skills and touch.
Three steps of MRE
MRE is usually divided into three steps. First, shear waves are generated by using a mechanical vibrator on the patient's surface to penetrate deep tissue; second, the conduction and velocity of these waves are measured using an MRI acquisition sequence; third, this information is processed with the help of inversion algorithms to quantify and Draw a three-dimensional tissue stiffness map. The end result is a stiffness map called an elastogram, which incorporates traditional three-dimensional MRI images.
This technology allows doctors to visually see various pathological processes that may affect tissue stiffness in images, allowing them to make a correct diagnosis.
Application scope of MRE
Liver
Liver fibrosis is a common symptom of many liver diseases, and its progression may lead to cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease. As an accurate, non-invasive technology, MRE provides quantitative stiffness images for detecting and staging liver fibrosis. During an MRE examination, patients are required to fast for 3 to 4 hours before the examination to obtain the most accurate measurement of liver stiffness.
Brain
The study of MRE in the brain has also gradually received attention. Preliminary results show that elastography is associated with memory tasks and the progression of various neurodegenerative diseases. For example, in Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis, brain stiffness is observed to decrease with age.
Kidney
MRE examinations of the kidney need to overcome many challenges, but studies have shown that kidney stiffness is sensitive to renal function and renal perfusion, and can reveal problems such as kidney transplant dysfunction and diabetic nephropathy.
Prostate
MRE can also be used to examine the prostate, especially to detect changes in prostate cancer. The study found that varying stiffness can successfully differentiate between cancerous tissue and normal tissue, achieving 95% specificity when combined with image interpretation technology.
Pancreas
For pancreatic diseases, MRE shows potential in diagnosing both benign and malignant diseases. Studies indicate that the stiffness of the pancreas can be detected abnormally in patients with acute and chronic pancreatitis and can help predict postoperative complications.
Conclusion
With the continuous development of magnetic resonance elastography technology, it may be used clinically in the diagnosis of more diseases in the future. This technology not only provides doctors with powerful tools, but also brings new hope to patients. When you learn that your health may be at risk, would you seek such a check-up to learn more about the problem?
