What you can expect

An MRE examination is often done as part of a conventional MRI examination. A standard MRI liver examination takes about 15 to 45 minutes. The MRE part of the test takes less than five minutes.

In an MRE examination, a special pad is placed against your body, over your gown. It applies low-frequency vibrations that pass through your liver. The MRI system generates images of the waves passing through the liver and processes the information to create cross-sectional images that show the stiffness of tissue.