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September 17, 2025

Virtual MRE vs. MRE: Evaluation of vMRE at 3 T for Distinguishing Fibrosis and Its Sensitivity to Relaxometry Factors

Key Points

Virtual MRE did not reliably identify hepatic fibrosis compared to traditional MRE, showing limitations in its effectiveness.
The study indicated high sensitivity of virtual MRE to factors like T1 and T2*, which may cause misestimations of liver stiffness.
Resoundant setup was used for MRE, while virtual MRE was calculated from specific diffusion images, demonstrating a comparative analysis.
Findings suggest that while virtual MRE is cost-effective, it may not serve as a reliable alternative to traditional MRE in clinical settings.

Abstract

Motivation: Chronic liver disease can progress to fibrosis and cirrhosis. Early detection is essential. Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) is effective, but requires specialized software and equipment. Virtual MRE (vMRE) could offer a cost-effective, accessible alternative. Goal(s): Validation of vMRE's effectiveness and reliability against MRE in a cohort of healthy individuals and patients with chronic liver disease. Approach: MRE was acquired using a Resoundant setup; vMRE was calculated from b200 and b1500 diffusion images. Results: Compared to MRE, vMRE showed high sensitivity to certain factors (T1, T2* and PDFF), overestimating stiffness, and failing to reliably identify patients with hepatic fibrosis. Impact: vMRE did not yield results comparable to MRE and failed to reliably identify hepatic fibrosis. Its high sensitivity to relaxometry factors, such as intrahepatic fat or iron, made it susceptible to misestimations of liver stiffness.

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Virtual MRE vs. MRE: Evaluation of vMRE at 3 T for Distinguishing Fibrosis and Its Sensitivity to Relaxometry Factors

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