L'ultima "fatica" del dott. Grazioli e della sua equipe di lavoro con la collaborazione del dott. Olivetti (direttore del Dipartimento di Diagnostica per immagini degli Istituti Ospitalieri di Cremona) è un testo - atlante interamente dedicato alla studio delle lesioni epatiche con Risonanza Magnetica.

La prefazione dell'opera porta una firma importante nel panorama della Radiologia mondiale: si tratta del professor Richard L. Baron, direttore del Dipartimento di Radiologia dell' Università di Chicago.

" Liver imaging has been the holy grail for abdominal imagers since CT first gave radiologists a true direct look at the organ 35 years ago.  Imagers have searched to find ways to understand the inherent complexities in imaging the liver to detect liver neoplasms and to characterize liver lesions that are incidentally encountered.  The sheer number of articles written annually in the radiology literature attests that while we have come a long way to answering key questions, we have not yet reached our destination.

The complexity of the liver for imaging is unmatched in the abdomen and probably in the body.  The significant dual blood flow while on one hand a tool that can be used to an imager’s advantage on the other adds complexity that can be difficult to overcome.  The changing nature of the organ at imaging as it responds to the ravages of underlying pathology such as cirrhosis adds further complexity.

With the advances in imaging culminating in modern MR imaging, we now have ways just a few years ago were unimaginable to image the normal and cirrhotic liver and the multitude of malignant and benign lesions encountered.

The myriad ways of altering tissue contrast and the improved spatial resolution of current MR, combined with the many different types of exogenous contrast agents, has made MR a powerful tool.  Yet these same attributes combine to make it exceptionally complex that can seem overwhelming even to experienced imagers.

With this publication, Doctors Grazioli and Olivetti (and contributors) have provided to the imaging community a comprehensive atlas covering most all potential encountered lesions in MR imaging.  Each category of lesions is demonstrated with numerous variants showing numerous MR imaging sequences and correlative imaging meticulously matched with each other and with pathology.  This serves not only as an atlas resource to compare with difficult cases encountered, but reads well as an in depth educational tool for primary learners to gain what would take years to experience.

This resource will open the eyes of many to the capabilities of MR to solve the complex problems of liver imaging.

To do so requires a methodological approach to understanding the intense relationships of liver anatomy and histology, liver pathology, MR pulse sequences, and MR contrast agents.  This fine labor puts all of these into an easily grasped perspective.  Its size and scope is unmatched in liver imaging.  It will not only be a resource for experienced and young radiologists, but will hopefully stimulate us all to continue to further our clinical understanding of the complexities of liver imaging so we can continue better armed for our quest for the holy grail. "

Richard L. Baron, M.D.

Professor and Chair

Department of Radiology

University of Chicago

Altre pubblicazioni del dr. L. Grazioli e del suo team in 1° Radiologia in collaborazione col dr. L.A. Olivetti (Istituti Ospitalieri di Cremona)