Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is an imaging technology, combining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with mapping of the visco-elastic properties of tissues. Its main clinical application is the detection of neoplasm. This reference gives a sound introduction to the theoretical background, covering both principles of magnetic resonanace imaging and (tissue) mechanics. A special emphasis is put on technical solutions: scanners and motion gereantion hardware, image acquisition, postprocessing, and parameter reconstrction are discussed in detail. After discussion of the biomechganical properties of all relevant tissue types, promiment and timely examples of clinical and preclinical applications are given. A chapter on alternative and complimentary approaches such as elastography by ultrasound completes the book.

Ingolf Sack is professor for Experimental Radiology and Elastography at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. He received a PhD in Chemistry at Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, for the development of methods in NMR spectroscopy. He worked at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel, and at the Sunnybrook Hospital Toronto, Canada. Since 2003 he leads an interdisciplinary team of physicists, engineers, chemists and physicians which has pioneered pivotal developments in time-harmonic elastography of both MRI and ultrasound for many medical applications. Sebastian Hirsch is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Radiology at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. After studying physics at the University of Mainz, Germany, he joined Charité, where he works on pressure-sensitive MRE and the development of data acquisition strategies. Jürgen Braun is an assistant professor at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. He received his PhD degree in physical chemistry from Albert-Ludwigs-University in Freiburg, Germany, for the elucidation of reaction kinetics with liquid and solid state NMR. He possesses long standing professional experience in elastography, medical engineering, and image processing.

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