MR imaging of the liver--a practical approach.

Clinical information must be combined with radiologic features to evaluate focal or diffuse liver disease effectively, and MR examinations need to be tailored appropriately. If there are characteristic radiologic findings, in many cases a correct diagnosis is possible; however, radiologic methods may provide an exact description of disease extent, vascular supply, infiltration, metastases, and tumor changes like necrosis or hemorrhage, without providing a definitive diagnosis. In these situations interventional radiologic techniques (such as percutaneous biopsy) have a potential role in diagnosis.