Imaging diagnosis of cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis.

Cirrhosis is an end stage of chronic diffuse liver disease, characterized by irreversible hepatic fibrosis. Cirrhosis slowly progresses from chronic hepatitis to early cirrhosis and finally to advanced cirrhosis with the increasing risk of complications, and causes regional morphologic changes of the liver during the course of the disease, according to disease severity. MR imaging is better able to provide comprehensive information about cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis and their complications than any other imaging modality currently available. In this article, we reviewed the spectrum of imaging findings of cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis, including regional changes of hepatic morphology, several signs of early and advanced cirrhosis, nodular liver surface, hepatic iron deposition, regenerative nodules, and varices and portosystemic collaterals. Copyright 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel