Role of Radiologist in Diagnosing and Treating Liver Disease

Introduction:

Radiologists are physicians that specialize in diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases using radiology, also known as medical imaging procedures such as X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, positron emission tomography (PET) scan, and ultrasound. Radiologists use a variety of imaging techniques to look inside the body to assess or diagnose a patient's condition. Radiologists play an important role in your health, acting as expert advisors to your referring physician (the doctor who sent you for testing), and providing assistance in choosing the appropriate tests. The technician (the person who operates the equipment) guides quality. Check for proper execution. Interpret and report the resulting images, recommend treatment, and perform additional tests if necessary.

The clinical process can be divided into two main parts of diagnosis and treatment. The diagnostic process helps the clinical process. The team understands the patient's cause, notices the signs and symptoms, and decides the best course of treatment.

What Is the Role of a Radiologist?

The radio diagnostic process represents the activities of collecting, interpreting, and integrating embedded information. Radiological diagnosis consists of image acquisition and corresponding interpretation. The roles of radiologists in diagnosis and treatment are listed below:

• A referring physician (the doctor the patient to the radiology department or clinic for testing), the radiologist selects the appropriate test, interprets the resulting medical images, and uses test results to make an accurate diagnosis and experienced in treating disease with radiation (radiation oncology) or image-guided minimally invasive technique (interventional radiology).

• Correlate medical imaging findings with other tests. If necessary, recommend other appropriate investigations or treatments and consult your doctor.

• Provide guidance and training to technicians (the people who operate the equipment) on how to properly conduct quality inspections.

What Is the Role of Radiologists in Diagnosing and Treating Liver Disease?

A radiologist performs the following techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases:

• Imaging is being used to enable the treatment of liver conditions, and this trend is expected to improve further.

• Liver resection is the first-line treatment for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and resectable cholangiocellular carcinoma (bile duct cancer). Extensive resection may be required for the cure, but a sufficient amount of residual liver is preserved unless postoperative liver failure develops.

• Portal vein embolization (PVE) is an established and effective method that increases the volume of future liver debris and allows for more extensive resection.

• In recent decades, many interventional radiological techniques have been introduced to treat liver cancer. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an important IR technique for treating inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma.

• Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is known to be a minimally invasive and effective treatment for small hepatocellular carcinoma.

• Due to its many causative factors, liver fibrosis is a life-threatening condition with high morbidity and mortality. Liver biopsy is the current gold standard method for the diagnosis and staging of liver fibrosis in chronic liver disease.

What Are the Procedures of Interventional Radiology for the Treatment of Liver Diseases?

Interventional radiology is a diagnostic and treatment option that is minimally invasive for patients with liver disease or injury. Interventional radiologists have experience treating a variety of liver disorders, including but not limited to:

• Bile duct obstruction.

• Cholecystitis.

• Portal hypertension.

• Primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma).

• Metastatic liver cancer.

During the diagnosis and treatment of liver disease, advanced imaging technique is used by interventional radiologists to guide small needles or tubes called catheters. This enables effective diagnosis and accurate treatment of various liver diseases. Most interventional radiation treatments for liver disease require only a small incision, about the size of a pinhole, reducing pain and the risk of complications. Various interventional radiology (IVR) procedures are shown below.

• Balloon-Occluded Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration (BRTO): This is a minimally invasive procedure that can reduce the possibility of portal hypertension rupture.

• Biliary Drain Placement: If the bile ducts are blocked by scar tissue or a tumor, interventional radiologists may use a minimally invasive procedure called biliary drainage to drain the bile that has accumulated in the liver.

• Biliary Stent Placement: Similar to bile duct placement, biliary stent placement is used to drain bile that has accumulated in the liver when a bile duct is blocked. Instead of a catheter to drain bile out of the body, a plastic or metal tube is used during biliary stenting to hold the bile duct open and drain the bile into the body.

• Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangiogram (PTC): A blocked bile duct can cause bile to accumulate in the liver and cause other life-threatening complications. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) is a diagnostic procedure that uses an X-ray of the bile duct and a contrast agent to help the medical team understand exactly where the blockage has occurred.

• Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS): A transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is a device that is used to treat various complications of portal hypertension that start when scar tissue blocks blood flow to the hepatic vein. The interventional radiologist uses TIPS to minimize internal bleeding with less risk than open surgery.

• Transjugular Liver Biopsy: A transjugular liver biopsy can help in the diagnosis and confirmation of a liver condition. The interventional radiologist takes tissue samples from the body with advanced imaging guidance. Unlike a conventional biopsy, a transjugular liver biopsy is performed from the jugular vein in the neck into the hepatic vein. This makes it a safer approach for patients with an elevated bleeding risk.

Conclusion:

Radiologists are physicians with special skills in diagnosing and treating sick and injured patients. He specializes in imaging techniques such as CT, MRI, PET, nuclear medicine, fusion imaging, and ultrasound. A radiologist's role is crucial in the timely diagnosis and treatment of liver conditions. Compared to a traditional surgical method, interventional radiology enables quicker recovery, as most procedures can be finished in a single day. Many patients are discharged the same day after this procedure, and returning them to the life and activities they love faster is easier. Interventional radiologists use medical imaging to treat people with noncancerous.