Synopsis

Many disease processes cause marked changes in tissue mechanical properties. Mechanical properties are therefore promising biomarkers for monitoring and characterizing various pathophysiologic conditions of tissues. MR-based elastography is a phase-contrast technique for estimating the shear stiffness of tissues by imaging propagating shear waves generated from a standardized extrinsic vibrating source. In patient care, the innovative stiffness biomarker is beginning to see widespread clinical use for assessing hepatic fibrosis as an alternative to biopsy. There is significant potential to further develop elastography techniques to implement three-dimensional multiparametric methods that have promise for distinguishing varying pathophysiologic states of the entire organ.