MR elastography proves edge in liver fibrosis staging

Researchers in Belgium have found that MR elastography is more accurate than a blood test commonly used in the noninvasive staging of liver fibrosis. The study adds weight to clinical literature that suggests MR elastography could replace biopsy.

Dr. Laurent Huwart and colleagues from the radiology department at the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels enrolled 88 patients with suspected chronic liver disease who underwent MR elastography and the aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) exam within two days of liver biopsy. They found that MR elastography distinguished several stages of fibrosis more accurately than did the APRI blood testing. They published their findings in the November issue of Radiology.