Molecular MRI â Can it detect liver abnormalities early?
Liver fibrosis is a chronic condition that affects the liver. It can be caused by many different types of liver disease. Hepatitis C and biliary tract infection, for example. Liver fibrosis occurs when liver cells get damaged and then start to grow too much. They are attempting to repair themselves. This leads to scarring of the liver tissue which results in reduced function of this vital organ.
Liver fibrosis is difficult to diagnose. It does not show up on routine blood tests or imaging scans. The only way to detect it is through biopsy, an invasive procedure. Doctors take tissue samples from your liver using needles inserted into your body. So any alternative to such detection is useful. Molecular MRIâs gives doctors a new way to detect, measure liver fibrosis. So what is molecular MRI?
MRI is a non-invasive technique that uses magnetic fields to obtain three-dimensional pictures. In molecular MRIâs the goal is to achieve imaging at the molecular level. The objective is to reveal early biochemical and genetic events. Early change, prior to the formation of a tumor, for example, help prevent rather than restore.
Liver fibrosis can be detected by a molecular MRIÂ
Liver fibrosis is an important indicator of the severity of any type of liver disease. Liver fibrosis is the accumulation of scar tissue in the liver. Scarring can block blood flow and cause other problems, including cirrhosis. Scarring can also result in cancer in the long run. Early detection is invaluable in such cases.
Generally speaking, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not get a molecular MRI scan. People who have a kidney disorders should not get a molecular MRI scan. Finally, people allergic to gadolinium should not get this type of scan. Gadolinium is used in some cases while doing a scan.












