Radiology of fibrosis part III: genitourinary system

• Published in: Journal of translational medicine 2024-07, Vol.22 (1), p.616-13, Article 616
• Main Authors: Tarchi, Sofia Maria, Salvatore, Mary, Lichtenstein, Philip, Sekar, Thillai, Capaccione, Kathleen, Luk, Lyndon, Shaish, Hiram, Makkar, Jasnit, Desperito, Elise, Leb, Jay, Navot, Benjamin, Goldstein, Jonathan, Laifer, Sherelle, Beylergil, Volkan, Ma, Hong, Jambawalikar, Sachin, Aberle, Dwight, D'Souza, Belinda, Bentley-Hibbert, Stuart, Marin, Monica Pernia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Care and treatment; Diagnosis; Fibrosis; Humans; Imaging; Inflammation; Radiology; Review; Thoracic organs; Urogenital System - diagnostic imaging; Urogenital System - pathology
• ISSN: 1479-5876; 1479-5876
• DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05333-1

Fibrosis is a pathological process involving the abnormal deposition of connective tissue, resulting from improper tissue repair in response to sustained injury caused by hypoxia, infection, or physical damage. It can impact any organ, leading to their dysfunction and eventual failure. Additionally, tissue fibrosis plays an important role in carcinogenesis and the progression of cancer.Early and accurate diagnosis of organ fibrosis, coupled with regular surveillance, is essential for timely disease-modifying interventions, ultimately reducing mortality and enhancing quality of life. While extensive research has already been carried out on the topics of aberrant wound healing and fibrogenesis, we lack a thorough understanding of how their relationship reveals itself through modern imaging techniques.This paper focuses on fibrosis of the genito-urinary system, detailing relevant imaging technologies used for its detection and exploring future directions.