1. A method, comprising: acquiring a plurality of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data signals; forming complex images from the plurality of MRI data signals; calculating a first image of a phase gradient between neighboring pixels using the complex images along a first axis; calculating a second image of a phase gradient between neighboring pixels using the complex images along a second axis; performing a region-growing algorithm for correcting phase errors in the complex images using the calculated phase gradients; and reconstructing phase corrected images.