High-resolution MRE of the liver based on multifrequency wave excitation and tomoelastography reconstruction is proposed for the mechanical characterization of hepatic tumors including stiffness and heterogeneity of the mechanical properties. We investigated 62 tumors in 43 patients and observed that high-grade tumors are stiffer than surrounding parenchyma, while low-grade hepatic adenoma had no altered stiffness. The intra-tumor heterogeneity of stiffness values was higher than in non-tumorous liver tissue. The proposed multifrequency MRE protocol could easily be integrated into the standard radiological workflow of our institution, thereby adding valuable information on tumor aggressiveness to standard clinical imaging markers.
This abstract and the presentation materials are available to members only; a login is required.