Development of an Imaging Biomarker for Hepatic Fibrosis Using Gadoxetate Disodium

When someone has hepatitis C or some other condition that causes liver injury, he or she can develop a condition called liver fibrosis that over time, can cause the liver to stop working normally. Currently, the best way to determine the degree of fibrosis is to do a liver biopsy. The investigators hope to show that measuring the degree of liver fibrosis using an MRI with gadoxetate disodium is as good as or better than obtaining this information by performing a liver biopsy. Gadoxetate disodium is a contrast solution given through the veins that is considered safe, is approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration, and is already routinely given to patients with various forms of liver disease, including fibrosis.