ObjectiveTo summarize the research progress of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for diagnosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).MethodRelevant literatures at home and abroad were collected to make an review, then summarized the research status and progress of MRI for diagnosis of NASH. Their advantages and disadvantages were summarized.ResultsA variety of MRI techniques, including MR elastography, gadolinium-ethoxybenzyldiethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) enhanced MRI, diffusion-weighted MR imaging, and quantitative MR imaging of fat and iron, had been widely used in diagnosing NASH and shown to have some value. However, there were currently no effective MRI techniques recommended for diagnosing NASH.ConclusionsMRI plays an important role in noninvasive assessment of NASH. Future studies are needed to investigate more efficient noninvasive biomarkers and models consisting of imaging and non-imaging biomarkers for diagnosing NASH, to reduce unnecessary biopsies.