What are the common indications for computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver, gallbladder, and biliary tree?
The most common clinical indications include:
- • Characterization of indeterminate hepatic lesions detected on prior cross-sectional imaging.
- • Surveillance of cirrhotic patients for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
- • Surveillance of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) for cholangiocarcinoma.
- • Staging and response assessment of patients with hepatobiliary malignancies.
- • Pretreatment and post-treatment evaluation of patients undergoing liver transplantation.
- • Evaluation of patients with abdominal symptoms or signs (e.g., right upper quadrant pain, abnormal liver function tests) that may be secondary to hepatobiliary disease.
- • Assessment for traumatic injury to liver, biliary tree, or gallbladder (mainly using CT).
- • Assessment for presence, location, and causes of biliary obstruction (mainly using MRI).
- • Diagnosis and response assessment in patients with primary (genetic) hemochromatosis (using MRI).
- • Providing guidance for percutaneous biopsy or intervention for hepatobiliary disease.
