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Mapping of liver fat with triple-echo gradient echo imaging: validation against 3.0-T proton MR spectroscopy

  • Magnetic Resonance
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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to validate a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique for mapping liver fat, using 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) as the reference standard. In 91 patients with type 2 diabetes, 3.0-T single-voxel point-resolved 1H-MRS was used to calculate the liver fat fraction (LFF) from the water (4.76 ppm) and methylene (1.33 ppm) peaks, corrected for T1 and T2 decays. LFF (corrected for T1 and T2* decays) was also obtained from the mean signal intensity on a map built from a triple-echo (consecutive in-phase, opposed-phase, and in-phase echo times) breath-hold gradient echo sequence, using basic image calculation functions (arithmetic mean, subtraction, division, multiplication by a numerical factor). Mean LFF was 8.9% (range, 0.9–33.5) by MRI and 8.8% (range, 0–34.1) by 1H-MRS. Pearson’s coefficient was 0.976 (P < 0.0001) and Lin’s coefficient was 0.975 (P < 0.0001). Liver segment had no significant influence. With Bland–Altman analysis, 95.6% (87/91) of data points were within the limits of agreement. Given its excellent agreement with 1H-MRS, our mapping technique can be used for visual and quantitative evaluation of liver fat in everyday practice.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant from the publicly funded organization Direction de la Recherche Clinique at the Dijon University Hospital, Dijon, France.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Le Bocage University Hospital, Bd Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 21000, Dijon, France

    Boris Guiu, Romaric Loffroy, Jean-Pierre Cercueil & Denis Krause

  2. Department of Clinical Research, Le Bocage University Hospital, Bd Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 21000, Dijon, France

    Boris Guiu

  3. Department of Endocrinology, Le Bocage University Hospital, Bd Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 21000, Dijon, France

    Jean-Michel Petit

  4. Department of Epidemiology, Le Bocage University Hospital, Bd Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 21000, Dijon, France

    Serge Aho

  5. Department of Neuroradiology, Le Bocage University Hospital, Bd Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 21000, Dijon, France

    Douraied Ben Salem

  6. INSERM U866 Unit, School of Medicine, Bd Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 21000, Dijon, France

    Jean-Michel Petit & David Masson

  7. Department of Hepatology, Le Bocage University Hospital, Bd Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 21000, Dijon, France

    Patrick Hillon

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  1. Boris Guiu
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Correspondence to Boris Guiu.

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Guiu, B., Loffroy, R., Petit, JM. et al. Mapping of liver fat with triple-echo gradient echo imaging: validation against 3.0-T proton MR spectroscopy. Eur Radiol 19, 1786–1793 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-009-1330-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-009-1330-9

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