Original Research

Analysis of liver viscosity behavior as a function of multifrequency magnetic resonance elastography (MMRE) postprocessing

  1. Gwladys E. Leclerc PhD1,
  2. Fabrice Charleux MD2,
  3. Ludovic Robert MS2,
  4. Marie-Christine Ho Ba Tho PhD1,
  5. Colette Rhein MD3,
  6. Jean-Paul Latrive MD4,
  7. Sabine F. Bensamoun PhD1,*

Article first published online: 4 JAN 2013

DOI: 10.1002/jmri.23986

Additional Information

How to Cite

Leclerc, G. E., Charleux, F., Robert, L., Ho Ba Tho, M.-C., Rhein, C., Latrive, J.-P. and Bensamoun, S. F. (2013), Analysis of liver viscosity behavior as a function of multifrequency magnetic resonance elastography (MMRE) postprocessing. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging. doi: 10.1002/jmri.23986

Author Information

  1. 1

    Université de Technologie de Compiègne, UMR CNRS 7338, BioMécanique et BioIngénierie, Compiègne, France

  2. 2

    Radiology Unit, ACRIM-Polyclinique Saint Côme, Compiègne, France

  3. 3

    CH Compiègne, Unité d'alcoologie, Compiègne, France

  4. 4

    CH Compiègne, Service Gastro-entérologie et Hépatologie, Compiègne, France

*Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC), Centre de recherches de Royallieu, Laboratoire de BioMécanique et BioIngénierie, UMR CNRS 7338, Rue Personne de Roberval, BP 20529, Compiègne Cedex, France

Publication History

  1. Article first published online: 4 JAN 2013
  2. Manuscript Accepted: 8 NOV 2012
  3. Manuscript Received: 1 AUG 2012

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (927K)

Keywords:

  • multifrequency magnetic resonance elastography;
  • liver fibrosis;
  • viscosity;
  • elasticity;
  • rheological models

Abstract

Purpose:

To analyze the relevance of the viscosity measurement as a liver diagnostic marker.

Materials and Methods:

To determine the level of fibrosis, a Fibroscan test was performed on 40 subjects (10 healthy volunteers and 30 patients). Subsequently, multifrequency magnetic resonance elastography (MMRE) tests were made with a pneumatic driver at 60, 70, and 80 Hz. Phase images were analyzed with two different postprocessing methods, without (Method 1) and with (Method 2) the inversion algorithm (IA), using rheological models (Voigt, springpot) in order to characterize the viscoelastic properties (viscosity: η and elasticity: μ).

Results:

MRE cartography of the viscous tendency (G″MRE_M2) measured within the region of interest (ROI) of the liver increased as a function of the level of fibrosis. Similar results were also obtained for the viscosity (ηmodels_M1) calculated with a postprocessing without IA. However, the viscosity (ηmodels_M2) remained constant with the stage of fibrosis when the postprocessing was composed of an IA. The experimental (μMRE_M1 and G′MRE_M2) and rheological (μmodels_M2 and μmodels_M1) elasticities always increased with the level of fibrosis regardless of the postprocessing method.

Conclusion:

The variation of the liver viscosity parameter as a function of postprocessing revealed that this parameter should be further investigated to demonstrate its relevance in clinical practice. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (927K)