Hepatobiliary MRI contrast agents: Properties, clinical applications and future directions
Abstract
Hepatobiliary contrast agents (HBAs) are gadolinium-based contrast agent characterized by hepatocellular uptake and hepatobiliary excretion. The hepatobiliary phase has become an essential tool of modern magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver and refines the diagnostic capabilities of MRI. The specific characteristic of HBAs allows the combination of MRI dynamic vascular imaging with unique lesion characterization, biliary anatomy and liver functional assessment. The practical use of HBAs in the non-invasive diagnosis of benign hepatocellular lesions must be known, as imaging patterns are specific for focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatic adenomas, and may vary according to adenoma subtypes. HBAs for the non-invasive diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinomas are integrated into Western and Eastern guidelines and on specific criteria for use and interpretation. Metastatic liver disease also represents a major application. Emerging applications include advanced biliary imaging, functional assessment of the liver, and potential role in surveillance strategies. This review summarizes the properties of HBAs, including their pharmacokinetics, safety, and technical considerations for image acquisition. It also discusses their role in characterizing focal liver lesions, highlighting their strengths and limitations.
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BibTeX
@article{reizine2026hepatobiliary,
title = {{Hepatobiliary MRI contrast agents: Properties, clinical applications and future directions}},
author = {Edouard Reizine and Riccardo Sartoris and Maxime Barat and Maxime Ronot and Sébastien Mulé and Laurent Milot and Anita Paisant},
journal = {Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.diii.2026.04.007},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05840366v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Hepatobiliary MRI contrast agents: Properties, clinical applications and future directions
AU - Edouard Reizine
AU - Riccardo Sartoris
AU - Maxime Barat
AU - Maxime Ronot
AU - Sébastien Mulé
AU - Laurent Milot
AU - Anita Paisant
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/27
JO - Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging
DO - 10.1016/j.diii.2026.04.007
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05840366v1
AB - Hepatobiliary contrast agents (HBAs) are gadolinium-based contrast agent characterized by hepatocellular uptake and hepatobiliary excretion. The hepatobiliary phase has become an essential tool of modern magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver and refines the diagnostic capabilities of MRI. The specific characteristic of HBAs allows the combination of MRI dynamic vascular imaging with unique lesion characterization, biliary anatomy and liver functional assessment. The practical use of HBAs in the non-invasive diagnosis of benign hepatocellular lesions must be known, as imaging patterns are specific for focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatic adenomas, and may vary according to adenoma subtypes. HBAs for the non-invasive diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinomas are integrated into Western and Eastern guidelines and on specific criteria for use and interpretation. Metastatic liver disease also represents a major application. Emerging applications include advanced biliary imaging, functional assessment of the liver, and potential role in surveillance strategies. This review summarizes the properties of HBAs, including their pharmacokinetics, safety, and technical considerations for image acquisition. It also discusses their role in characterizing focal liver lesions, highlighting their strengths and limitations.
SN - 2211-5684
SN - 2211-5684
ER -