Evaluating chronic hepatitis B-related liver fibrosis with a continuous-time random-walk diffusion model

Early characterization of liver fibrosis has great clinical significance as it allows monitoring of treatment response to antifibrotic agents in patients with chronic liver disease. Most recently, high b-values diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) based on the continuous-time random-walk (CTRW) model has been introduced. Compared to the healthy control group, the mean D, α, and β values were significantly lower in the hepatic fibrosis group. Spatial diffusion heterogeneity β showed the best diagnostic performance. This non-invasive method has the potential to realize efficient evaluation and improve clinical treatment decision-making.