Strategies for magnetic resonance imaging of focal liver disease.

Strategies for the successful application of MRI to the liver are reviewed. Technical improvements in scanner performance have resulted in marked improvements in image quality in the upper abdomen and liver. In addition, increased experience has demonstrated that a number of lesions can be characterized on MRI through the use and analysis of signal intensity patterns and morphology. These include cavernous hemangiomas, cysts, focal nodular hyperplasia, encapsulated hepatomas, and hematomas in the liver. While the sensitivity of MR in the detection of focal liver disease is quite high and comparable to that of CT, deficiencies in the detection of the extrahepatic manifestations of malignant disease suggest that it is still not the primary screening modality. At present, MR appears to be a problem-solving modality in the evaluation of focal liver disease. It is useful in characterizing solitary lesions and defining the segmental extent of a detected abnormality, and as an adjunctive study when there is a discrepancy in the results of two imaging studies.