Skip Navigation
Book Now! Find care near you Find care near you Find care near you
wellstar-logo
Wellstar Go Back
Go to MyChart

Questions? We can help!

Call (770) 956-STAR (7827)

Monday - Friday, 7 AM - 4:30 PM

Contact Us
For Patients & Families Community For Providers About Us Careers
  • Start Your Care

  • Find a Doctor
  • Find a Location
  • Our Services
  • Virtual Visits
  • Planning

  • Accepted Insurance
  • Financial Assistance
  • Pricing Information
  • Before Your Visit

  • Sign Up for MyChart
  • Visitation Guidelines
  • Pick a Caregiver
  • While You're Here

  • Support & Entertainment
  • Join an Event
  • After Your Visit

  • Pay Your Bill
  • Get Medical Records
  • Contact us
  • COVID-19 Support

  • COVID-19 Information
  • Vaccines
  • Testing Information
  • Visitation Updates
  • Foundation Relief
  • Community Health

  • Health Highlights
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Latest News
  • Center for Health Equity
  • Events & Programs

  • Community Outreach
  • Events Calendar
  • On-Demand Classes
  • Support Groups
  • Give

  • Wellstar Foundation
  • Donate
  • Ways to Give
  • Thank a Caregiver
  • Volunteer

  • For Adults
  • Care

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Cures Act
  • Refer a Patient
  • Lab Test Directory
  • Request to Conduct Research
  • Connect

  • Physician Relations
  • Request Imaging Services
  • Wellstar Clinical Partners
  • Wellstar Medical Group
  • Mayo Clinic Care Network
  • Log In

  • EpicCare Link
  • Lawson Connect
  • MyID Password Reset
  • Citrix Access
  • Leadership

  • Authority Board
  • Board Of Trustees
  • Foundation Board
  • Regional Health Boards
  • Executive Leadership
  • Awards, Recognition & Safety

  • Accreditation & Certifications
  • Awards & Recognition
  • Safety First Program
  • Nursing
  • Careers at Wellstar

  • Apply now
  • Upcoming virtual events
  • Why Wellstar?
  • Nursing Careers

  • Nursing (Direct Care)
  • Nursing Leadership
  • Nursing (Non-bedside)
  • Nursing Support
  • Physician, APP & Clinical Careers

  • Advanced Practice Providers (APPs)
  • Allied Health Professionals
  • Homecare & Hospice
  • Physicians
  • Support Team Careers

  • Administrative & Clerical
  • Coding, Compliance & HIM Systems
  • Facility, Environmental & Nutrition/Food Services
  • Information Technology & Systems
  • For Patients & Families
  • Community
  • For Providers
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Search Search Search
  • MyChart MyChart MyChart

Start Your Care

Find a DoctorFind a LocationOur ServicesVirtual Visits

Planning

Accepted InsuranceFinancial AssistancePricing Information

Before Your Visit

Sign Up for MyChartVisitation GuidelinesPick a Caregiver

While You're Here

Support & EntertainmentJoin an Event

After Your Visit

Pay Your BillGet Medical RecordsContact us

COVID-19 Support

COVID-19 InformationVaccinesTesting InformationVisitation UpdatesFoundation Relief

Community Health

Health HighlightsCommunity Health Needs AssessmentLatest NewsCenter for Health Equity

Events & Programs

Community OutreachEvents CalendarOn-Demand ClassesSupport Groups

Give

Wellstar FoundationDonateWays to GiveThank a Caregiver

Volunteer

For Adults

Care

Transfer a PatientCures ActRefer a PatientLab Test DirectoryRequest to Conduct Research

Connect

Physician RelationsRequest Imaging ServicesWellstar Clinical PartnersWellstar Medical GroupMayo Clinic Care Network

Log In

EpicCare LinkLawson ConnectMyID Password ResetCitrix Access
About Wellstar

Our patients are the center of everything we do. We're nationally ranked and locally recognized for our high-quality care, inclusive culture, exceptional doctors and caregivers, and one of the largest and most integrated healthcare systems in Georgia.

About Us

Leadership

Authority BoardBoard Of TrusteesFoundation BoardRegional Health BoardsExecutive Leadership

Awards, Recognition & Safety

Accreditation & CertificationsAwards & RecognitionSafety First ProgramNursing

Careers at Wellstar

Apply nowUpcoming virtual eventsWhy Wellstar?

Nursing Careers

Nursing (Direct Care)Nursing LeadershipNursing (Non-bedside)Nursing Support

Physician, APP & Clinical Careers

Advanced Practice Providers (APPs)Allied Health ProfessionalsHomecare & HospicePhysicians

Support Team Careers

Administrative & ClericalCoding, Compliance & HIM SystemsFacility, Environmental & Nutrition/Food ServicesInformation Technology & Systems
Questions? We can help!

Call (770) 956-STAR (7827)

Monday - Friday, 7 AM - 4:30 PM

Contact Us
Close
  • Urgent Care
  • Primary Care
  • Virtual Care
  • Emergency Care
Close Close Close Book Now Menu
  • Urgent Care
  • Primary Care
  • Virtual Care
  • Emergency Care

Introducing

Wellstar Virtual Care

Access Wellstar healthcare providers
wherever you are.

Get started

Warning Warning Our "Book Now" feature should not be used for life threatening conditions such as heart attack, severe injury, poisoning, chest pain, or stroke. If you are experiencing such conditions, STOP and CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY or visit your nearest Emergency Department.

I Understand

MRI of the Liver

  • Home
  • Request Imaging Services
  • MRI of the Liver
Helpful Information for Physicians

  • Study Description
  • Patient Selection and Indications
  • Patient Preparation
  • Reporting and Outcomes

Study Description

MRI of the liver is routinely performed with gadolinium contrast to detect and characterize liver masses and to assess hepatic perfusion. Standard gadolinium agents provide information on lesion vascularity during the dynamic or extracellular post-gadolinium phase, but do not assess hepatocyte function.

Eovist® (gadoxetate disodium) is a gadolinium-based contrast agent that is actively taken up by hepatocytes and excreted into the bile. It therefore provides additional functional information that can help detect and further characterize liver lesions during the hepatocyte phase. For example, a focal liver metastasis will appear as an area of low T1 signal on a background of high T1 signal caused by Eovist excretion from normal parenchyma. Certain benign lesions may be definitively identified using Eovist, helping avoid an unnecessary liver biopsy.

Since Eovist is excreted into the bile ducts, it may also be used to generate T1-weighted maps of the biliary system. This may serve as a useful complement to T2 based MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) which can be degraded by adjacent inflammation and magnetic susceptibility artifact from surgical clips.


mrliver1

Patient Selection and Indications

Liver imaging procedures may be performed for various reasons including laboratory abnormalities, jaundice, and abdominal pain. Liver lesions are often found incidentally during imaging studies performed for another indication, and such findings often require further assessment.

While CT and ultrasound may be used to evaluate the liver, MRI is more sensitive and specific for non-calcified liver lesions. It is the modality of choice for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening in patients with risk factors such as hepatitis or cirrhosis. It is also used to screen potential donors for liver transplant.

In general, a conventional liver MRI is performed first, as this exam is technically easier to perform and contrast kinetics are more predictable. However, certain lesions are better assessed using an Eovist MRI of the liver. If a lesion is best characterized by Eovist, the radiologist will recommend a follow up exam using that agent.


Indications

  • Radiologist recommendation
  • Enhancing liver lesion which “fades” to isointensity.
  • Suspected focal nodular hyperplasia.
  • HCC surveillance, particularly follow-up of baseline exam.
  • To exclude subtle liver metastasis in a potential surgical or transplant candidate.
  • Reproducible tumor measurements in tumors with variable enhancement kinetics such as carcinoid metastases.
  • T1 MRCP, especially if a stricture or bile leak is suspect and T2 MRCP is inconclusive. This in an off-label indication.
  • Lesion targeting during MRI guided liver biopsy

Contraindications

  • No prior conventional MRI and no radiologist recommendation
  • Enhancing liver lesion which “washes out” to hypointensity. These often require biopsy.
  • Suspected hemangioma on CT or ultrasound
  • Cholangiocarcinoma

mrliver2

Patient Preparation

Standard MRI Precautions should be employed. Please specify if T1 MRCP imaging is desired.

Eovist® is administered at 0.025 mmol/kg body. It is contraindicated in renal failure due to the risk of NSF although it is theoretically safer than other gadolinium agents due to its combined renal and hepatic routes of excretion.

The entire examination takes approximately 30 minutes although if a T1 MRCP is performed it may take longer. The hepatocyte phase lasts up to several hours, so after dynamic post gadolinium images are obtained, the patient may elect to take a break before continuing with the exam.


mrliver3

Reporting and Outcomes

Liver MRI provides excellent image quality. Soft-tissue contrast is superior to competing modalities. It provides an extremely sensitive depiction of fluid and edema. The addition of Gadolinium increases detection of subtle lesions and allows assessment of multiple vascular phases. Use of Eovist provides additional functional information and can be used to determine if a lesion contains hepatocytes. This information can often help the patient avoid a liver biopsy. It is the examination of choice for identifying focal nodular hyperplasia. It can also help target liver lesions if an MR guided biopsy is indicated.

Every Eovist MRI exam is reviewed by a board-certified radiologist with subspecialty training in advanced body imaging. A comprehensive report detailing findings in the abdomen and in the liver is provided to the referring clinician. As the abdomen is imaged during an Eovist liver MRI, pathology in other organs may be detected incidentally. If urgent findings are encountered, these are relayed in real time by telephone. A copy of the examination and report is furnished to the patient upon request. The exam may also be reviewed directly with the radiologist in the radiology department at a Wellstar facility.


mrliver4

More Information

For more information, call our outreach line.

(770) 956-STAR

Back to Top
Branding illustration
Wellstar Logo
More than healthcare. PeopleCare.
Branding illustration
For Job Seekers & Team
Careers Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging Onboarding
For Students
Students Portal
Graduate Medical Education
Medical Residency Pharmacy Residency
For Business
Occupational Medicine Corporate Purchasing
For the Media
Media Room Community Health Needs Assessment
Help
Contact Us Pay Your Bill Policy & Privacy Information Hospital Transparency Information
For Job Seekers & Team
Careers Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging Onboarding
For Students
Students Portal

Graduate Medical Education
Medical Residency Pharmacy Residency
For Business
Occupational Medicine Corporate Purchasing
For the Media
Media Room Community Health Needs Assessment
Help
Contact Us Pay Your Bill Policy & Privacy Information Hospital Transparency Information

Copyright © 2023 Wellstar Health System. All Rights Reserved.

Wellstar does not discriminate on, exclude people or treat them differently on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity or expression or any other type of discrimination prohibited by law.