Virtual MRE vs. MRE: Evaluation of vMRE at 3 T for Distinguishing Fibrosis and Its Sensitivity to Relaxometry Factors

Motivation: Chronic liver disease can progress to fibrosis and cirrhosis. Early detection is essential. Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) is effective, but requires specialized software and equipment. Virtual MRE (vMRE) could offer a cost-effective, accessible alternative. Goal(s): Validation of vMRE's effectiveness and reliability against MRE in a cohort of healthy individuals and patients with chronic liver disease. Approach: MRE was acquired using a Resoundant setup; vMRE was calculated from b200 and b1500 diffusion images. Results: Compared to MRE, vMRE showed high sensitivity to certain factors (T1, T2* and PDFF), overestimating stiffness, and failing to reliably identify patients with hepatic fibrosis. Impact: vMRE did not yield results comparable to MRE and failed to reliably identify hepatic fibrosis. Its high sensitivity to relaxometry factors, such as intrahepatic fat or iron, made it susceptible to misestimations of liver stiffness.