Abdominal Imaging and Endoscopy

Biography

Biography: Salah El Rai

Abstract

DWI is integrated increasingly in liver MR protocols given the recent technologic advances in image quality. Liver DWI adds useful qualitative and quantitative information to conventional imaging sequences. It plays also a role in the assessment of focal and diffuse liver diseases due to its high contrast resolution. It is fast non-contrast technique not requiring considerations for patients having contrast media allergy or renal impairment. International consensus on DWI recommends the use for focal liver lesion detection and characterization particularly in patients who cannot receive intravenous Gadolinium based contrast agents. Advanced diffusion methods have potential for staging and evaluation of the progression of liver fibrosis. DWI increases significantly the conspicuity of intra and extra hepatic lesions however; it stills a not robust technique with many pitfalls.

For the GI specialist, oncologist, radiologist and radiographer who are using liver DWI technique in their clinical practice, it is important to understand a few key principles of diffusion imaging in order to understand the image and the inherent artefacts. This lecture will try to simplify the physics of water diffusion and will provide a practical approach in acquisition and interpretation of liver DWI.