Abdominal MRI

There are many clinical indications for abdominal MRI, ranging from cancer to vascular abnormalities to emergency assessment.  Abdominal MRI requires rapid imaging combined with other methods such as breath-holding, cardiac-triggered or respiratory-triggered imaging, and fat suppression in order to reliably show tissues of interest.

Our research projects focus on rapid imaging, ultimately aimed toward free-breathing 2D and 3D MRI.  3D methods offer high resolution and are often used in the presence of a contrast agent, both for angiography and perfusion assessments.  2D methods are very fast, able to resolve respiratory motion and peristalsis, and used for initial evaluation.  Diffusion-weighted imaging is being performed more frequently in the body, as the contrast offers an alternative that can highlight cancer or inflammation.

Relevant Publications