Grant: Operating Grant

Chronic liver disease can be difficult to diagnose because symptoms can be vague. In some cases, the liver may already be damaged without any symptoms. Chronic liver disease from any cause can lead to liver fibrosis, a process of tissue scarring in response to injury. Over time, fibrosis can evolve toward cirrhosis, an advanced stage where liver function is disrupted. Once cirrhosis is established, patients have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal bleeding, liver cancer and liver failure that may require transplantation. To obtain a diagnosis of chronic liver disease, a biopsy is currently needed. A liver biopsy involves inserting a needle inside the liver to remove a small piece of tissue which is then examined under a microscope to visually determine the amount of fibrosis. Liver biopsy is an invasive procedure with a risk of major complications such as bleeding in 0.5%. The goal of this study is to compare three noninvasive technologies called magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI), and transient elastography (Fibroscan) for the staging of liver fibrosis. If MRE superiority is demonstrated, this study will open the possibility of MRE as an adjunct tool in the diagnosis of cirrhosis. Used in combination, these methods may reduce the need for liver biopsy in the future. A clinical imaging trial will be performed to compare MRE, ARFI and Fibroscan. This study is an important step towards developing a noninvasive diagnostic method in chronic liver disease.