Inter-visit and inter-reader reproducibility of multi-parametric diffusion-weighted MR imaging in longitudinally imaged patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and healthy volunteers.

Abstract

Despite the widespread use of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), MRI acquisition and quantification techniques vary in the literature suggesting the need for established and reproducible protocols. The goal of this study was to assess inter-visit and inter-reader reproducibility of DWI- and IVIM-derived parameters in patients with MAFLD and healthy volunteers using extensive sampling of the "fast" compartment, non-rigid registration, and exclusion voxels with poor fit quality.