Technologic advances in abdominal MR imaging

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is finding an ever-growing role in the eval uation of a wide range of conditions in the abdomen. No longer confined to problem solving regarding abnormalities in solid organs, such as the liver and kidneys, MR imaging is increasingly being applied to the evaluation of the pancreatic and biliary ductal systems and even the bowel. Recent techni cal advances in hardware and software have allowed the acquisition of MR im ages that are largely free of artifact secondary to bowel peristalsis or re spiratory motion; images providing excellent anatomic detail can now be obt ained routinely. Faster sequences have reduced image acquisition time, ther eby improving patient acceptance and allowing more efficient utilization of machine time. New three-dimensional sequences allow rapid image acquisitio n, reducing section misregistration and motion artifact while improving mul tiplanar reformations. The potential of MR imaging to provide functional an d anatomic information is intriguing, and new techniques, including diffusi on and perfusion imaging, are being evaluated. This review considers the ad vances in imaging hardware and pulse sequence design that underlie the incr easing role of MR imaging in evaluation of the abdomen and discusses evolvi ng clinical applications.