Hepatic magnetic resonance imaging
Liver MRI in Casablanca
Liver MRI is a targeted exam, performed with a magnetic field and without X-rays. Its settings and injection timing are adapted to this organ, which distinguishes it from a more general abdominal MRI. It helps characterize a liver lesion, meaning clarify its probable nature, detect small abnormalities and estimate an excess of fat or iron. It often complements an ultrasound or a CT scan.
Duration, report and equipment
Duration
The exam usually takes 20 to 30 minutes.
Report turnaround
Report within 48 hours. In an emergency, during opening hours, the report is handed over immediately.
Equipment
GE SIGNA Prime 1.5 T
When is this exam needed?
- Nodule found on ultrasound or CT scan, whose nature needs to be clarified.
- Monitoring of cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis, at the intervals set by the hepatologist.
- Search for liver metastases as part of a cancer workup.
- Estimation of fat (steatosis) or iron in the liver, for example when ferritin is high.
- Assessment before surgery or local treatment of a liver lesion.
- Follow-up of a known benign lesion, such as a hemangioma.
How the exam is done
The team checks the safety questionnaire, then you change. A small flexible needle is placed in a vein in your arm. Lying on your back, you have a coil strapped over your upper abdomen, especially on the right side.
The sequences follow one another with repeated instructions: breathe in, breathe out, stop breathing, for about fifteen seconds. Gadolinium is injected during the exam, then several series show how each area of the liver takes up and clears the contrast agent. The headphones provided reduce the noise of the machine.
Preparation
- Take your usual treatments with a little water, unless instructed otherwise.
- Practice holding your breath after breathing out: breathe out, then hold your breath for about fifteen seconds.
- Bring your previous liver exams: comparison is very important for interpreting a nodule.
Fasting
No fasting is needed. Take your usual medication.
Contrast injection
Gadolinium is injected in the vast majority of liver MRIs, through a vein in the arm.
Contraindications and precautions
- Pacemaker or cardiac defibrillator: only MRI-compatible devices allow the exam; tell us the model.
- Neurostimulator, inner ear implant or implanted morphine pump.
- Old clip on a brain artery or metal fragment, especially in the eye.
- Insulin pump or glucose sensor (such as FreeStyle Libre): to be removed before the exam. Bring what you need to replace it or put it back afterwards.
- Current or possible pregnancy: please tell us. MRI is performed only if it is necessary, preferably after the first trimester, and without gadolinium unless absolutely necessary.
- Breastfeeding: please tell us. It is generally not necessary to stop breastfeeding after a gadolinium injection.
- Severe kidney failure: the choice and dose of gadolinium depend on it.
- Tattoos, permanent makeup or anxiety in enclosed spaces.
Documents to bring
- Prescription stating the reason for the exam
- Previous liver ultrasounds, CT scans and MRIs, with reports
- Recent blood tests: creatinine, liver function tests and, if available, alpha-fetoprotein or ferritin
- List of current medications
- Insurance or mutual insurance fund card
Price and insurance coverage
The price of liver MRI depends on the extent of the area examined and on the contrast agent injection, which is given in the vast majority of cases.
The center accepts coverage from insurance companies and the main mutual insurance funds. You submit the coverage request to your insurer or fund yourself. For AtlantaSanad and Sanlam, the center takes care of it.
No prices are shown on this site: Kenza gives you the exact price on WhatsApp, along with the coverage procedure for your situation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between liver MRI and abdominal MRI?
Liver MRI is set up for this organ: thin slices, fat and iron sequences, closely timed injection phases. Abdominal MRI covers more organs, with less detail on each one. If your doctor is investigating a liver lesion, the targeted exam is generally preferred.
Can MRI measure the fat in my liver?
Yes, specific sequences estimate the proportion of fat in the liver, and others the iron overload. These measurements require no sample and can be repeated to monitor the effect of a diet or a treatment, in addition to the tests requested by the hepatologist.
I have cirrhosis. How often should I have this exam?
The frequency depends on your disease, its stage and previous exams. The hepatologist sets it, sometimes alternating ultrasound and MRI. The radiologist may mention in the report that a closer follow-up seems useful.
Why do I need to hold my breath?
The liver moves with breathing. The sequences therefore require you to breathe out and then hold your breath for about fifteen seconds, several times in a row. Practice before you come: the images will be sharper.
Liver MRI in Casablanca: how much does it cost?
The price of liver MRI depends on the extent of the area examined and on the contrast agent injection, which is given in the vast majority of cases. The center accepts coverage from insurance companies and the main mutual insurance funds. No prices are shown on this site: Kenza gives you the exact price on WhatsApp, along with the coverage procedure for your situation.