New Liver Imaging Techniques

Over the past decade, major technological advances have occurred in all the imaging modalities that have provided a completely new perspective to hepatic imaging. Dual-energy computed tomography (CT) acquires images at two different photon energies concurrently, and permits material decomposition based on the energy-dependent attenuation profile of specific material. It provides both morphologic and functional information in the same study, and potentially benefits hepatic tumor imaging. Hardware and software improvements in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology have enabled faster MRI scanning and improved image quality. In addition to several newer MRI pulse sequences, the introduction of a new hepatocyte-specific contrast agent, gadoxetate disodium, offers additional benefits for improved detection and characterization of focal lesions, and allows functional hepatic and biliary imaging. In this article, we discuss the recent advances in CT and MRI technology and their applications for improving hepatic imaging. © 2013, Springer Science+Business Media New York.