Diagnosis of liver disease in children: value of MR angiography.

Abstract

We retrospectively studied the clinical use of MR angiography, a gradient-echo technique susceptible to motion, in the preoperative evaluation of the hepatic vasculature in children with liver disease. Twenty imaging examinations were performed in 18 patients 3 months to 10 years old (mean, 2.3 years). Eleven patients had liver tumors and seven had cirrhosis associated with biliary atresia, cystic fibrosis, and short-bowel syndrome. Respiratory motion artifacts were present in most patients, but all MR angiographic studies were technically adequate. Comparing MR angiograms with spin-echo images, we found that vascular visualization was better with MR angiography in 12 cases (60%), equal in five (25%), and worse in three (15%). In 10 of 20 cases, MR angiography provided additional vascular information not present on spin-echo images. MR angiography is a useful adjunct to spin-echo imaging for assessing hepatic vascular anatomy in children with liver disease.